Stillwater: A New Beginning

By Corey Haga

As his journey begins, Sam Forman started life as a slave. At eight years old, an orphan and being sold again, his life amounted to a few coins. Destiney would erase the injustice, but his memories would carry on the pain. Amazing favor would transform his life and create a champion, giving hope to many looking for their own escape. I bid you come and join the dream!

The dream of peace!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798886442366

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Stillwater

A New Beginning

Corey Haga

ISBN 979-8-88644-235-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88644-236-6 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Corey Haga

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Book 1

The Savagery of Peace

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Book 2

Final Justice

Book 3

A Peaceful Paradise Is Born

About the Author

Book 1

The Savagery of Peace

Chapter 1

My name is Samuel. I was born a slave; my mother was born a slave. She died the day I was born. I don't know who my father is or even his name. I have been raised by my adopted momma, and her name is Lilly. For as long as I can remember, life on the plantations is only one thing—work! Every day, sun up to sun down, nothing but work.

The man, Jubal is his name. He goes twice a month to town, and he takes people away or brings new people back to the plantation, so new faces always show up for more work in the fields or in the master's house. Momma Lilly works in the house. Sometimes the master hurts her. We got on the back of the wagon and began to leave, slowly rolling along. The other women came over to us and gave Momma things and said goodbye. They had tears on their faces, and one woman ran up to us and said, You two stay together!

Jubal stopped the wagon and looked at the woman. You, get back to work, he said to her with a growling voice, before I put you in this wagon too! The woman got scared by this and ran back to do her chores.

Then Jubal cracked the reins hard. The wagon was moving fast now. I watched as long as I could, looking back at my home after a few turns in the road. I couldn't see it anymore. Momma and I just leaned on each other all the way to town, not saying a word to each other. I wanted to ask Mama so many things. I looked up at her once. She saw in my eyes I was about to ask. She quickly put her hand over my mouth, shaking her head no, looking at Jubal and then back to me. Momma was afraid of what he would do to us, so I didn't say a thing.

We got to town, and men started saying to Jubal and asking about us. Hey, Jubal, whatcha got there?

Just bringing in some trading stock. See you tomorrow. Jubal took us to a place where slaves were bought and sold. It had a funny smell and was not a very clean place. Some of the slaves didn't have very many clothes on either. We had to stay the night in that place.

I didn't like that at all. Momma and I found a place in the corner and tried to stay safe till morning. An old man sat down next to us and gave us a smile. We smiled back. This made us feel a little more relaxed. That is until one of the guards started to bother Momma. He had been drinking, and he was trying to pull Momma away from me. The old man sitting next to us tried to stop him, and the guard pushed him down hard and started pulling on Momma's arms again, and then one of the men from across the room grabbed the guard and lifted him off the ground. He was a very big man and very strong. The guard let out a loud yell as he was thrown against the wall. He landed on the floor and didn't get up again.

The nice old man got up quickly and pushed the big man back to his side of the room and made him sit down. He then went back to the drunken guard and started to kick the wall yelling loudly. This got the attention of the other guards, and they came to find out why. Six guards came through the door, and seeing the old man standing over the guard, they all began beating this nice old man without mercy. They dragged him outside, chained him to a tree, and left him there. The drunken guard was dead. They carried him out, and fear came over us. That night, we heard screams from the old man. Lord knows what they did to him.

The next morning, we were taken outside. There were about fifty of us in total. We were to be sold that day to new masters. I couldn't know how this day would forever change my life. One by one, we were placed on a dock as people would bid for us. I was fearful I may never see my momma again. I watched as Momma went up the steps, and the bidding started. I was on the dock next. I ran up as fast as I could and grabbed Momma's hand. A man knocked our hands apart really hard, and it hurt badly.

I was crying, Momma was crying, and the men started bidding. I watched as Momma was led away. She would look over her shoulder with tears on her face. A man dragged her to a wagon. She was tied to the wagon to keep her from coming back to me. And there she stood, watching me. A sense of hopelessness came over me when I saw just past where my momma was standing. That nice old man was covered in blood, his clothes torn off, and still chained to the tree. There were some men standing close to him talking and laughing. Jubal was one of them.

Now when I think back to when Momma hushed me on the wagon, seeing the old man dead chained to that tree, and Jubal with these other men smiling and drinking, the fear in my momma's eyes, I began to wonder what direction my life would take. But I wouldn't know this for some time to come, seeing as how I am only eight years old and standing here, tears on my face, with only one thought on my mind: Momma. During the short time I spent on that dock as the bidding took place, my only thought was Momma.

There was a man in the seat of that wagon, and his arm would go up and down as did the other men there. I heard a man's voice say, Sold! Then I was led down the stairs and through the crowd. The guard handed my rope to a man who looked like me. He gave me a smile and said, Come on then! and led me to where my momma was standing. He helped Momma and me up into the wagon. From there, I could see the man who killed the guard was up on the dock, and the bidding had started again.

Momma and I didn't care too much about that. She had her arms wrapped tightly around me. That was the best hug of my entire life. I looked up to see this man in the seat of the wagon. He was watching us and had a gentle smile on his face. I somehow felt that everything was going to be okay. At least today it would be. The man looked back to his bidding. I heard the one man tell the new master, Sir, I could use another young strong back.

All right. The new master gave a nod. I'll get him for you! and with that, his arm began going up and down. Sold to Mr. Forman again.

The guard handed the rope to the nice man, and they both got up into the wagon. Just then our old master came over with Jubal standing beside him. Mr. Forman, you'll take good care of Lilly for me. I need you to sell her back to me after my wife calms down a bit. Lilly sure is nice to have around the house if you know what I mean.

I am well aware of what you mean, sir!

Momma wouldn't look up at all. She just stared at the wagon's bottom. Jubal reached out to grab Momma's arm, but the big man grabbed Jubal's wrist before he could do so. This surprised Jubal; his eyes turned to fire. Boy, you just made a big mistake! All the men who were drinking with Jubal came quickly to help Jubal. The big man still had Jubal by the wrist and wasn't even straining while Jubal was desperate to free himself.

Momma, seeing how this was about to end up with another man chained to a tree like the first, leaned forward and put her hand on the arm of her new defender. This very large man, who himself just arrived by ship, brought here from the coast was sold as a slave and now could be killed. He looked Momma in the eyes. Momma told him gently, It's okay! He let go of Jubal's wrist. Jubal and his foul friends were getting ready to take this man and do as they will with him.

Master Forman stood up and began to talk about money and how none of them could afford to pay for damaging a slave or killing one. Or the fact that some of the men there had already borrowed money from him. He went on to tell them they could take the slave and kill him but that their farms and houses would have to be sold to pay back their debt.

They owed him because he wouldn't allow them any more time to pay what they owe! All the men were quiet now. Master Forman sat back down, gave the men a nod, and said, Gentlemen. He cracked the reins, and we rode away. Momma still had her hand on his arm. This man who defended her, pointed to the old man chained to the tree and looked back and told him, You can't touch these folks, or you will be just like him.

We all rode back to our new home without saying a word. Once there, Master Forman called everyone over and spoke. These are new to our home. Help them settle in. Then he looked at the big man and said, Am I going to have trouble with you?

The big man stared at the master and said, Nothing.

Momma took hold of the big man's hand and shook her head no and directed him to look at the master and shakes his head no. Master Forman said, All right then. He stepped in close to the big man, pointed at him, and said, You are mine, then pointed to himself. The big man gave a slight flinch. At this, Momma gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He looked down at Momma. Master Forman pointed at Momma. She is yours, and so is he, pointing to me. The big man looked at the two of us and smiled. He looked at Master Forman and nodded. Good. Now can someone get this man some clothes? The loin cloths cover something but not everything.

A few folks gave a chuckle at this.

I don't think this giant can speak English. Lilly spoke up. Sir, I can teach him.

You can? Good! Now, young man, what is your name?

My name is Samuel, I told him with a smile.

The master leaned in real close. Young man, it would seem you and I have the same name.

Mr. Forman.

Yes, Ben, what is it?

What should we call the new hand by? He doesn't speak English.

Lilly spoke up and said, Sir, can we call him by the name David?

Yes, Lilly, we sure can. Now it's up to you to teach him this. Ben, send the people back to work.

Yes, sir Mr. Forman!

Ben, one more thing, take little Sam here under your wing.

Sir? Ben said.

I want him to know everything about the duties you have here. He will be yours to train. For when you retire.

Yes, Mr. Forman. Ben looked at me with a smile. He looked at Momma and David. Get yourself settled in and then send little Sam back to me.

Yes, sir, Momma said.

We went to our new shack, put away our things quickly, and reported to our new duties. I went with Ben, the head man over us slaves, which was unusual here, to have a black man with this job. Ben told me that here on the Forman Plantation was as close to freedom a black man could hope for here in the South.

*****

The days turned to weeks then months and years. I had learned to serve Mr. Forman to the best of my ability. David, my new dad, had been promoted to the lead man in the field. Momma taught him to read and write, and he was very strong. Momma was promoted to the lead servant in the house. She really liked it here working for Mr. and Mrs. Forman. They had no children of their own, but they truly adored them very much. Momma and Daddy gave me two new sisters and a brother. This made our little shack very small.

One day, Ben came to our shack and talked about me moving in with him. He was alone now. His wife had died, and he had enough room. His shack had three rooms, and ours only had two. Momma agreed to this, and so at the age of fifteen, I moved out of my momma's house. It wasn't long before I found out Mr. Forman and Ben spent a lot of time in the evening playing poker and smoking cigars. And having a drink. Mrs. Forman would come and fetch Mr. Forman if they played cards too long. This was always nice, just as Ben said years ago. We were slaves here in the South, but on the Forman Plantations, we were treated with dignity and friendship by our owners.

Eventually, I was taught how to play cards, and I got good at it, much to the dismay of the older gentlemen I was beating. Eventually, things always change. Ben was getting quite old, and I heard these two talking over cards several times.

Spring had come again, and the plantation was very busy. One night, while playing cards, Mr. Forman and Ben did more talking than playing. Ben, I think it's time for you to retire.

Ben spoke up, Mr. Forman, this is our busiest time of the year. I can't leave you now.

Ben, this is the perfect time. David already knows everything there is to know about us here, and young Sam is ready to take over for you, and he's better at cards than you are. All three of us smiled at this. Besides, if I send you north now, none of our neighbors will know you're gone until harvest time, on account they are working hard just like us.

Mr. Forman said he was sending Ben north to retire. That meant only one thing—Freedom! This word was like a fairy tale to a slave. No one would ever dream of such a thing or take such a risk to escape to the north. Few people ever survived the dangers that they faced, and they were lethal.

As I sat there listening to old Ben and Mr. Forman talk about this, I started to believe that maybe, just maybe, a black man could live his own life without the threat of ever having to be fearful of just being alive at all. As for Mr. Forman, surely, he would jeopardize his good name if this was ever found out in these parts. This would be quite unforgivable by most of the landowners and neighbors. They can be very cruel indeed.

Mr. Forman and Ben concluded the evening with a drink and a hug. See you tomorrow, Ben.

See you tomorrow, Mr. Forman.

Morning came, and Mr. Forman and I went into town to buy new luggage bags. The townsfolk asked if he was planning a trip. His answer was yes. My wife and I are going north to relax and shop.

They asked about the timing with all the work to be done.

Mr. Forman replied, I have the utmost confidence in my men to get the job done, and I have young Samuel here, whom I will be sending to town on occasion. Old Ben will be with us on our journey. If any trouble comes up, we can be reached here at this hotel. Just send a telegram, and we'll get it squared away.

That day I realized something about Mr. Forman. He was very wealthy and commanded respect everywhere he went. Everyone in town called him Mr. Forman or sir.

We made a few stops that day, and I learned that Mr. Samuel Forman owned half of the store, the cotton gin mill, and was a major partner in the town bank. That being said, this could be the reason why none of his neighbors questioned him about how he treats his slaves or the fact there are no white folks employed on his plantation. It is only run by slaves. By the time we made it back home with the new luggage, it became very clear to me: Mr. and Mrs. Forman had no need for the plantation or its income. It would be some years before I would learn the reasons why.

Everyone waited to say goodbye to old Ben. Only a few knew he would never return. Mr. and Mrs. Forman were happy to be heading on their way. They had family in the north and had not seen them in some time. I realized the day we went shopping was also the day Mr. Forman spent giving orders to key people in town to make sure his interests back home were looked after in his absence.

After a few days, the storekeeper and his wife came by in a carriage. They asked how things were doing. I told them we are on schedule and doing fine. They looked around and saw everyone working and busy. I am sure they were told to do this for Mr. Forman. A little more than a week had passed, and we had a problem. A metal arm that we used for hoisting had broken, so I headed to town where I hoped the blacksmith would be able to fit it. Much to my surprise, he told me he could not and that it was very expensive to replace. This was very unsettling. My first stop did not help; hopefully, my second stop would.

I made my way back to the store and showed him my problem. He told me he would have one the next day and have it sent out to us. I thanked him kindly and headed home. Daddy was waiting for my return so he could finish his work, but this would have to wait another day. David got his men working on other duties instead, not wanting to waste any daylight.

Jubal was at the store when the new part arrived and insisted on delivering it himself as a favor to Mr. Forman. The store owner leaned close to Jubal and warned him if anything bad happens out there today, he will tell Mr. Forman that Jubal insisted on going. Jubal just smiled back and said, I just want to show my boy and nephew here a plantation run only by niggers, and out the door, he went laughing.

The store owner looked at his wife and said, That man is the most stubborn idiot in this entire country. If he does anything out there today, Mr. Forman will no doubt ruin him and his family. I am going out there today to see if he does anything dumb. I think every time that man exhales a breath, stupid runs down his chest.

Seven hours later, the store owner made us a visit. He asked about Jubal. We told him he was just rude and foul with his words and drinking. We got our part and finished our work in the barn, and also, one of the boys in the wagon spit on Daddy, and Jubal just laughed the whole time.

What did your Daddy do?

He just walked away from them. Momma wiped his face off with a towel. He just smiled at her and went back to work. He only gets mad if you touch Momma.

Oh, I see! Okay then, see you later, Sam!

Yes, sir! I replied.

A few days passed, and Mr. and Mrs. Forman had come home. We were glad to have them back for sure.

Old Ben was not with them. Mr. Forman told everyone he sold him, and now he shines shoes or something. The true story is that Benjamin Forman now owns twenty-five acres up north and has a bank account in his own name and is quite comfortable in his modest retirement. But I wouldn't learn of this for a few more years. Mr. Forman got settled in, and Daddy and I sat at the same table playing cards with Mr. Forman, and I beat them both. We told Mr. Forman about what happened in his absence and how Jubal came out that day. We finished up our game and went back to our own places. Of course, my bed was closer than theirs was.

The next day, Mr. Forman looked at the broken metal arm. He told me I did well in his absence, keeping everyone on task. The truth was, Daddy did this all by himself. I just got the new arm from town. The growing season was about over, and the harvest was all but here. My job was to keep track of how much we had grown and what we used getting to harvest. Profit is everything. Mr. Forman made this very clear, what with all the time spent with old Ben and my training.

Years had passed now, and I am twenty years old, getting better at my job every day.

Mr. Forman came down from the house, told me to ready the wagon, and went over and spoke to Mom and Dad. At one point, Mama covered her mouth, and Dad had a big smile. Mr. Forman came back, climbed the wagon, and said, Take me to town, Sam.

Yes, sir! I cracked the reins, and we were off. I didn't know why Mr. Forman spoke with Mom and Dad before we left, so I asked him.

His reply was simple, Never you mind, son!

Yes, sir! And I left it at that. When we got to town, we went to the market or slave dock. The locals gave this place this name for whatever reason they had. This was my first time here since Mr. Forman bought us that day. After we arrived, Mr. Forman told me to stand at the back of the wagon and wait for him. He went inside and spoke to the man in charge. Mr. Forman returned and took his normal seat in the wagon. It was just as I had remembered. Old Ben would bring us to the wagon after the bidding took place and then we would head home with some new faces again. What I didn't know was that this trip to the market was just for me—er, well, sort of.

Mr. Forman had made arrangements with the trader to send a lovely young lady today. I didn't know I was about to have a wife. The men at the market that day were stunned when this enchanting beautiful young woman emerged onto the dock. The bidding was fierce. Jubal was there as was his employer, my old master, the one who made Momma cry at night.

I didn't know why at the time, being only eight years old, but today, I knew full well why he was bidding so much. At one point, the bid became very high. Mr. Forman was surprised by his neighbor's desire to have this beauty. I looked at Mr. Forman at one point to plead with him not to let this horrible man hurt this young girl. He simply held up his hand to stop me. He stood up and raised the bid very high, so high in fact no one said a word. The trader simply said, Sold to Mr. Forman. Guard, take her over there now. How about this one? And the market got underway again.

I walked to the guard and took the rope and found myself saying the same words Ben said the day we were sold. With a smile and looking at her beautiful almond-shaped brown eyes, I told her, Come on then!

On the way to the wagon, Jubal stopped me. He had been drinking and smelled of it. Just like he did with Momma, he started to grab and pull this young girl, making a scene of himself. Mr. Forman stood up and said with a loud voice, Jubal, I have no time here for you to waste harassing my property and making a fool of yourself. Now get out of my man's way!

The market got very quiet, all bidding had stopped, and all eyes were on Jubal. This made him come to some sense, what little he had left. Sorry, Mr. Forman, maybe I had too much to drink.

Mr. Forman replied, Maybe I will stop by my bank and see how your mortgage payments are doing and perhaps check on the credit you have at my store.

Jubal got scared, really scared.

It seems to me you forgot your place in this world, Jubal!

That day, everyone at the market was reminded of Mr. Forman's ability and power to change any man's life in our little corner of this world. Jubal staggered back away from us. We got in the wagon, and Mr. Forman drove the team home. When we left the market, all the men tipped their hats and bid him good day! He never said a word all the way home. I never saw him drive the wagon ever. He would ride his horse only, or someone else would drive the wagon for him.

Chapter 2

Arriving back at home, I could see what seemed to be an event of some kind. People were setting out food, and I could smell chickens roasting over the pit. Mrs. Forman met us this time, which was unusual, to say the least. All the way home, all I thought about was Mr. Forman and how mad he got at Jubal and this vision of beauty sitting in the wagon with me. Mr. and Mrs. Forman started talking about what happened and how much this young lady had cost them today. But after hearing the whole story, Mrs. Forman simply smiled at her husband. You did just fine, dear, and she is quite lovely. Don't you think so, Samuel?

Looking at me, I quickly replied, Yes, ma'am, yes, quite lovely.

This made Mr. and Mrs. Forman chuckle. I still didn't know what was going on. My young mind couldn't grasp any of the hints everyone was giving me. I think my bride-to-be knew what was happening, and she began to chuckle at me too. Momma walked over and held her gently by the face and asked her, Child, what is your name?

My name is Delila, ma'am!

Girl, welcome to the family! When Momma said that, I felt