Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-31
TRANSFERS ADVENTURE.
One Wagon Master who Made Him
self Very Useful in Time of
Sore Need.

"Our first teamster," said the
I sergeant, according TO the Chicago
Inter Ocean, twas German named
Hettesheimer. He enlisted as a team
!, ster, he was on the rolls as a team
ster, and long before we had any
wagons in the regiment he declined
to perform any duty except that OF
teamster He was SO obstinate and
so well fortified with old-world prece-
dents, and our officers were SO UNI
certain of their ground, that HetteS-
heimer carried the day, and after
serving with us in our first campaign
in a way to cause almost constant
friction, was transferred and trans
ferred again, until his name disac-
peared from the company roll.
'Our next company teamster was
a country boy, with a natural love for
horses, who found in the care of his
| mule team and wagon an antidote for
Inconsistencies, and who through good
service was advanced to the rank OF
division wagon-master. No one had
| a clear understanding of the matter.
He was carried on the company rolls
+ as private on detached duty, and
yet we saw him nearly every day di-
recting the movement of trains, and
when we didn't see him we knew he
was off at Murfreesboro or Nash
kville or Chattanooga, under orders OF
I the general.
1.-THE fact that our old teamster
from the ranks had a horse to ride,
while the rest of us, company Off
GERS and all, were compelled to trudge
! along on foot in all sorts of wealth
! er, led to a feeling of irritation
! against the wagon-master. The cap
I tain talked seriously of ordering him
| back to the company, and the boys
intimated that in clinging to what
| they called a soft place, the old time
teamster was getting the big head,
and was Sinking his plain duty. They
| lntimated slso that he was afraid to
| go into battle, but at Stone River all
this feeling was dispelled.
4 The boys noticed that our di-
vision wagonmaster was, on the first
day of the battle, well to the front.
Some of them who had been acting
as train guards reported that on the
preceding days he had been in three
| fights between Lavergne and our
line. At all events, he was very
busy, and after the confederates had
broken the right wing he was buster
than ever. 1 happened to be one OF
the men left on the field, and as
night came on 1 was very desolate
could not help myself, and L could
not help any of the other wounded
Enear me.
l. Il could not see any way out OF
the trouble. / could not see how any
help could come to me except from
the confederate lines, and 1 did not
care to have it come from that quar-
ter. When my spirits were at the
lowest our division wagon-master
came by in great hurry. had
hardly strength enough to call out
but he saw me. He dismounted, took
me up without a word, lifted me
bodily into the saddle, climbed up be.
hind me, and galloped to where the
headquarters wagons were parked.
He put me in one of these, left me-
and in half an. hour returned with
our division surgeon, n doctor who
had been our regimental surgeon
when we entered the service.
found in those wagons four other
men who had been carried off the
field by that wagon-master, and when
/ went back to the company wagon
master stock was at a premium.
\ The captain, however, held the
wagon-master responsible for Undue.
ing some of the best men in the com.
Ipany to leave the ranks to become
iteamsters in the division or head
Quarters train. The wagon-mastei
WANTED good men, ne knew where To
find them, and after his explanation
HMIT - N K |