“Oglethorpe; my name is C——. Are you an agent of the Bureau?”
“No, sir.” But from some remark I made, he got the impression that I was connected with it. His abuse of the Yankees ceased; and after a while he said:—
“I believe General Tillson is a very fair man; and I understand why he intends to issue such an order. To one planter who is willing to do right by the freedmen, there are five that will be unjust towards them. I wouldn’t accept the agency of the Bureau in my county, because so many contracts have been made that I couldn’t approve; and they would get me into trouble with my neighbors. One man has hired a good fair field hand, his wife, who is a good cook, his sister, a good field hand, and his daughter, a good house servant, all for a hundred dollars a year,—twenty-five dollars apiece; and he doesn’t clothe them, either. That’s a specimen. I think the Bureau ought to interfere in such cases. But it a’n’t fair to make honest men suffer for the conduct of these sharpers.”
I said I thought so too.
“Then I hope you’ll tell General Tillson so.”
“I’ll tell him so, if you wish me to.”
“And tell him you think I’m an honest man.”
“I am inclined to think you are an honest man, and I’ll tell him that too.”
“But see here: don’t mention what I said about the Yankees, will you?”
“Certainly not: that’s of no consequence.”