Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

DAILY TIMES. J. W. WARREN - - Editor. | OOLUMBTJS: Saturday Morning, December 24,1864. (From the Atlanta Intelligencer, 20th.) Atlanta—Her Past, Her Present, and Her Fntnre. Twenty-five years ago, and the site which Atlanta, the “Gati City” of the South, occu pies, was a forest, which but a few years an tecedent to that period was the abode of the red man, who roamed over it in search of ! ’ j game, and who subsequently reluofantly aban- , doned it for other lands west of the Arkansas j river. The march of civilization —the rapid i advance of the white man with his implements i of agriculture—had imposed this necessity j upon the poor indian, and soon after his rc- ; tnoval, nay, before it was fairly accomplished* j the axe had felled the forest in many a locality, ! and the plough-share and the hoe had begun j their work, in fulfillment, as it were, of the decree of the Eternal, that by the sweat of j the brow, the children of Adam should earn their bread. Then was developed that great ! system of Railroads in Georgia, which brought the line from Savannah to Macon, and from Macon in continuation to the present site of Atlanta ; which brought the line from it to Augusta also, which carried from it the great i State Road over and through the mountains of Cherokee, Georgia, to Chattanooga, in Ten nessee ; aud which also carried from it the At lanta & West Point Railroad to connect with ih< A1 bam-i Ro id leading to Montgomery—a system of Internal Railroad improvements, deemed in its conception, ideal and extrava gant, but which, through the energy of our people, was finally triumphantly accomplish ed, and which, in a few short years, built up the most flourishing interior city of the South —a city at the opening of the present war that bade lair to rival in population and j wealth as it did in commercial enterprise, any i city in the Southern Confederacy. War came, j and still Atlanta was a progressive city.— I Population and wealth, until the Spring of present year, literally almost poured into it. Asa Commercial Depot, it was in advance of any city in the adjoining States ; as a Finan* cial Mart, it rivalled her most prosperous sis ter cities of the South ; and as a Military Post, it became second to none, save Richmond, in importance. Would that we could even now agree with the authorities at the Capital of the Confederacy, that it should have oc cupied that relation only in their considera tion, and not the first —but we forbear, in this particular, to the future, and not to the past, it were better to turn an observing eye. Such was the importance of Atlanta, that to the enemy it became a prize coveted as much as Richmond. It were idle in us now to take even a brief retrospective view of the almost superhuman efforts made, alas ! too success fully made, to capture and possess it—the powerful army that at last invested it—the thousands slain, and the ocean of blood, as it were, that were Bpilled before it was evacua ted by our forces, aud was occupied by tbe enemy's. These are themes familiar as ‘house* hold words' to every Georgian, and are in delibly impressed upou the hearts of every loyal son of the South. They are known with the past of Atlanta—the past, up to the time tbe barbarian hordes, under the leadership of their barbarian chief—(than whom no vandal Captain of ancient times left a blacker, or more cruel record for tbe historian to indite, than he has done)—took possession of, and then, amid the glare of its thousands of burn ing tenements, its splendid mansions, its vast warehouses, magnificent and costly mechan ical workshops, down to the bumble cottage residence, all ia one vast sheet of fire, the flames rising so as to light the country round for miles and miles—ingloriously took up his march to the sea. Why, oh ! why did the vengeance of the Eternal sleep when this foul work was progressing. But no!— “Not my will, but Thin*, O Lord, be Done.” So much now only for the past of Atlanta.— We must turn next to her present, and in doing so.have a melancholy duty, indeed, toper form. As you approaoh the city from either side, you will find it, as well as the Stone, and Kennesaw range of Mountains at a distance of over twenty miles, no longer hidden from your view by the dense growth of forest trees, which, but a few short months ago, obstructed it and their view from the eye of the traveller. For miles around, scarcely a tree is standing, and near and within a few miles of the city fire and the axe have destroyed the habita tions of the rich and of the poor, and laid waste the country round. But a few days ago, the putrid carcasses of dead horses and mules met the eye, while the stench that exhaled from them filled the air, producing a loathing on the part ot all who ventured into the city, unutterably disgusting, nor were they relieved from this oppressive sensation when they first entered it, for within its corporate limits lay the last remains of man and beast emitting the same c isgusting odor. Now, as you approach the city, the desolation that meets your view is painful in the greatest degree. Within the limits of an editorial article like this, it is im possible to present to the reader any graphic description of it. To record it as it should be, for the benefit of posterity, would require the historian's pen, and many a chapter in his tory. To the eye, it appears that “destruc tion s devastating doom" had been dealt before the once flourishing city, the pride and boast of Georgia ; the monument of the statesman ship and enterprise and industry of the peo ple of the “Umpire State.” A? you advance nearer and nearer to the city’s lines, the enemy’s lines of formidable fortifications —though of earthworks only, equal in strength to any in the Confederacy— meet your view, and within them others, some erected by our own forces, but none so formid able as those which Yankee industry and Yankee fear, have placed before, for the pro tection n<? holding of the city—all now abandoned in tiherman’s flight to the sea. AppaiHug as is the foregoing picture, it falls far short in horror, when compared to that which greets you on entering the city’s limits. Here you will see the awful effects of one vast extended conflagration—a city destroyed by FlßE—two-thirds at least of it devoured by flames—naught remaining of that portion of it doomed to destruction by a remorseless and cruel toe, what could not be destroyed—— the stone, and the brick, and the mortar—ash *“ a ' one remaiuin « of what had been combus- tible in it.- nature. Wc sicken as we present this picture of Atlanta to our distant readers* Even now as we look upon the smoked and blackened ruins, familiar at last to our view, by which we are surrounded, we are amazed and appalled at the savage ferocity of our Yan kee foes, and at the fiery vengeance they have inflicted upon the city. But these feelings soon gave way to another, that of contempt for the miscreant who order ed it, and for his legions who did the bidding. Never before have we felt more confident in final triumph over such foes, than we do, as we pen these lines. Doomed to utter destruc tion, one-third of Atlanta still lives. This will be the nucleus, the corner stone, the foun dation as it were, upon which the city will again be restored. Os this, more anon ; and for the present let it suffice that we lay before our readers, a condemned, statement of what Yankee outrage has perpetrated, which is in fluenced by fear that he could not hold the city, the demon Sherman, determined to des troy it. We will take as our starting point that place in the city where the four principal streets converge, to-wit: ibe streets of White hall, Peachtree, Marietta and Decatur. That point is Hunnicutt’s Drug Store. We will first extend our walk over Peach tree. The first is the business s ouse on which was the beautiful Drug Store befoie mention* ed. This is all a heap of ruins which the torch of the enemy has occasioned. Nearly opposite was the building for a long time oc cupied as a barracks and latterly as an auction and commission house. This has shared the same fate. Extending our walk in a Northerly direction, we find on our left a small wooden building in Judson’s Marble Yard that escap ed the ravaging element. After this we see on this street nothing but the ruins of A. G. Wyley <te Co’s large commission house and the business houses on our right, known as Cherokee Block, and Winship's buildings which were among the largest edifices !n the city. They were in number about twenty, three stories high, with cellars. A great Teal of the business cf Atlanta was done in these buildings. The second building standing is a small wooden one owned by Dr. Tucker, of Penfield. and at the time of our giving up the city, occupied by Ralls as a family grocery. The mansions of Sasseen and Ezzard stand, though one of them bears the mark of shells. The Wesleyan Chapel remains, but horribly desecrated. It is left more in the condition of a hog pen than the bouse of God. After this, Peachtree has suffered little until we reach the suburbs of the city, when occasion ally we find a house torn down to build huts. We extended our walk on tbe street to the residence of Col. R. A. Crawford, and was sur prised that the vandals who had spread ruin and desolation over so large a portion of the city should even have spared the fences and shrubbery of this favored street. What arts were employed to induce the modern Attila to spare the beautiful residences on this street, or whether the unusual promptings of human ity came to their relief, we do not know. We only know the results in this case, but not the cause. From Ralls' store to the dwelling house of Mrs. Luckie, all the dwellings re main except Mr. Ripley’s, Mr. Grubb's, Rev. Mr. Pinkerton’s and a house built by J. R. Wallace. The street which we next notice, as it stands out in a striking contrast, is Marietta. This street runs in a parallel direction wi’h the Western k Atlantic railroad for the distance of a mile and a quarter. All the business houses on this street are destroyed. After leaving these houses, no house on either side is completely destroyed for the space of a block, and as far as the residence of Mr. Goode, which is standing. Destructive shells, however, have scarcely cseaped any on either block. The Presbyterian Church received half a dozen or more which at one time we learn, drove out a number of citizens that had sought it as a place of refuge and safety. We examined the house of Mr. Silvey, which stands on the top of the first rise, and found it pierced through and through with shells, some of which exploded in the very midst of the building, causing great destruction. We counted as many as twenty shell marks on the premises of this single house. After passing Mr. Goode’s honse, tbe torch had been applied to every building on this street, its entire length with the exception of the residences of Dean, Mills and Mrs. Sowers, and a few insig nificant structures immediately east ot Mar shall’s sword factory. The fiends assigned to the work of destroying Marietta street did their duty recklessly. Nothing but charred mins are left to mark the spots of business houses, private residences, the Sword and Button factories and the Grist Mill. * Whitehall street is an entire rnin except the space extending from Roark’s corner to Capt. Gaskill’s residence, which is left stand ing. Those acquainted with the city will know what amount of destruction this implies. Full one half of the business houses of Atlan ta are included in this count. The ruin is complete. Costly structures leave nothing to tell what once they were, but fragments of walls which stand in silent grandeur. On this street was the residence of Col. J. S. Thrash er, Superintendent of the Press Association, situated in a plot of ground of 20 acres. Nothing but a small outhouse is left. The tasteful and ornamental residences near the Macon and Western railroad have ceased to be. Millions of dollars even in peace times would not suffice to restore this wreck to it* former beauty. It is a matter of surprise that the block on Whitehall, bounded on the north by Mitehell and on the south by Peters street, should have been suffered to remain. An old gentleman of *l3 winters who resided in one of the buildings on this block has given us the reason. He informs us that the order had been given to fire this portion of the city al so, but on his reporting to the authorities that a man by the name of Baker who lived near to him was at the time in the agonies of death, both blocks were spared as well as other blocks, the fire from which would have inevi tably communicated to this. It may be ow ing to this fact that that portion of the city remaining which extends from Roark’s corner to Capt. Gaskill's* house on Whitehall in an easterly direction to Washington street, and which is the largest body of buildings left ir any one place, was suffered to remain. The next street that claims our attention is Decatur. On this were the two principal ho tels, the “Atlanta Hotel” and the “Trout House.” Both of these have been burned, and also the “Washington Hall,” on the Geor gia R. R., another house of entertainment.— The business houses on Decatur «treet have all been consumed except the one under the Masonic Hall, which the square and compass, the symbols of the mystic brotherhood, saved, and a few small wooden buildings. For the space of three hundred yards on this street, begining with the spot where stood the “Chris tian Church’ and ending where the Govern ment Armory was located, private dwellings have been left. After these, for the remainder of the street, some three miles in the direction of Decatur, all the dwellimgs on either side have been burned, with two or three trifling exceptions. In this burning, the fine mansion of General L. J. Gartrell, who we regret to say was recently wounded, has yielded to the de vouring element whose aid the enemy so gen erally invoked. Having disposed of these principal streets let us pay our attention to others. On the street in the rear of the Trout House, every house was burned. On Calhoun street every house stands ex copt Joseph Barnes’and the brick house ad joining. On Houston street every house is destroyed from Mrs. Willi tmson’e, East, which stands, except Bob Yancey’s (servant), Col. Whita ker’s, and Mr. Johnson’s. From Mrs. William son’s to Peachtree all stand. On Ivey street the houses destroyed are those of A. Wallace, and all on the same block, E. B Walker’s (badly injured), Joseph Wy ley’s, Cleveland’s and the house on the cor ner of Ivey and Houston. John Glenn’s un injured. On Walton street nearly every house was destroyed. On Prior street all standing from Alabama street, to Raw3on's house except the Kilby boarding house, and a house C. C, Hewly lived in, and the house opposite. From Raw son’s out, all destroyed except the one Mr. Coleman built. On Washington street the houses are all standing except that of W. P. Inman’s, the house adjoining, and the two houses oppo site. On Crew street all the houses are standing except the oue built by E. E. Rawson, the one occupied by F. M. Richardson, the one owned and occupied by T. S. Stoy, the one occupied by Mrs. Enright, and tbe one owned by E. Buice. On McDonough street from City Hall to Ball’s house all the buildings stand except those of John M. Clark, James Morriss, Will iams, and B. T. Lamb. From Mr. Ball's out, all destroyed. On Hunter street all houses stand except Reid’s, Browning’s, and an old house occu pied as a hospital. Every house between Mc- Donough and Fair streets destroyed except L. P. Graot’s, Pettus’, and one in the rear of Williams’ on Frazier street. On Fair street, all stand except two houses owned by Marshal Jones, two belonging to Z. R. Jones, and the two houses opposite, Dr. Hardin’s, and Dr. Grant’s. If you run a line from Walton Spring near ly south to the Mineral Spring, then south west to Thomas Sorutchin’s, en Mitchell street, then south to Col. L. J. Glenn’s, nearly every bouse is destroyed. Lynoh’B building, between the W. k A. R. R. and Lambert’s garden, are destroyed. All of “Snake Nation’’ is destroyed. The block o f business houses on Alabama street, on which iB tbe “Gate City Hotel” is left. Edwardy’s and Joiner’s magnificent man sions are destroyed. The Railroads are destroyed in the coraple test manner by burning the cross ties, and bendißg and twisting the iron. As you stand on the crossing on Whitehall and look up the Western and Atlantic Road, the piles of cross ties are *o numerous and spread out to such an extent, as to remind one of the ocean when its waves are raised by a brisk wind. It is an ocean of ruins. The walls of the car shed were battered down by battering rams. The City Hall, two Baptist Churches, two Methodist, two Presby terian, the Catholic and one Episcopal, St. Philips, are all the churches left. The Ma sonic Hall was also left. The fire iB represented by those who beheld it, to have been terrific and sublime. The city from centre to circumference was envel oped in a sheet of flame, which in the opinion of those who witnessed it, was to have con sumed all or nearly all the buildings in the city. By the failure of the fire-fiends to per form the task assigned them, ot the private dwellings, nearly one out of every three es caped, while of the whole real estate of the city fully five-sixths in value have been laid in ashes. It was very evident that the Yankees inten ded to remain peacefully in Atlanta until the next spring. They so declared their intention to the citizens who remained, and the pre parations which they had made for the ap proaching winter lead us to the same conclu sion. While the Yankees were in Atlanta, besides their general bad behavior, they were guilty of acts which show their character in its true light. Their general search for silver and gold led them into the very vaults of the dead. They took the pailing from around the public cemetery and made two enclosures for the burial of their dead of the 20th—the star corps of Sherman. The marble was taken from Oatman’s and Judson’s yards, and the turf of blue grass with which the graves are corfted over, from the private yards of some of the citizens. The monument erected by this corps is imposing, but we must remember that the marble was stolen, and the fence of the Ceme tery taken away, thereby leaving all the other graves exposed ! Such conduct is more char acteristic of Goths and Vandals than of Chris tian men of the 19th century. Nor did these Yankees content themselves with desecrating the burying place of the dead; they made a burial ground of places appropriated to the living. On a back lot belonging to Col Whitaker, about forty Yankee graves are to be seen; and on the S. E. corner of the Atlanta Hotel, a few feet off, is to be seen ft Yankee grav#. We caution our people who comeback to occupy their houses, against shells and par cels of gunpowder which our barbaric foe may have left in places to cause injury or death to the unsuspecting. One accident of this kind has already come to our knowledge. In referring to the uumilitary conduct of our foe, we must not omit to mention that the Yankees burned the fire engine No. 2, aud the material of “Hook A Ladder Company,” snip ped North Xos. 1 k 4, leaving No. 3 in a badly damaged state. They, according to unques tioned authority, shipped North the furniture ot the citizens by train loads. All the pomps wer* ruined. Our foe respected oot tha pri_ vate dwellings of the poor or the superb man sions of the wealthy, and what remains of our once beautiful city is due to causes with which we are not yet sufficiently familiar to lay be fore our readers. The stillness of the grave, for weeks, reigned over this once bustling, noisy city. No whistle from railroad engines, no crowing of cocks, no grunting of hogs, no braying of mules, uo lowing of cows, no whir ring of machinery, no sound of the hammer or saw—nothing but the howling of dogs was in our midst. Profound silence reigned in our -streets, no pedestrians on Whitehall, no chil dren in the streets, no drays, no wagons, no glorious sound of the Gospel in the the theatre was hushed in the silence of death. Ruin, universal ruin, was the exclamation of all. It is true that the same sun shines above our heads, the same healthful breezes sweep over our hills, the same refreshing draughts of water are under the ground, but all else have changed! We can only liken Atlanta to Mos cow after her own citizens had fired it; but a merciful God has not suffered it to be like Babylon and Tyre, like Thebes or Palmyra. The energy for which her citizens have been distinguished has already begun to manifest itself. But so much for the past and present of Atlanta. Let us now look to its future! That which built Atlanta and made it a flourishing city, will again restore it, purified, we trust, in many particulars, by the fiery or deal through which it has past. Soon the whistle of the steam engine will again be heard in its limits, and soon the cars from Macon, and Montgomery, and Augusta, will bear their burdens into and through the city. Ere long, too, we feel confident that the State Road will be in process of reconstruction, a portion at least of it being engaged in transporting to it the rich produce of Cherokee Georgia. Let no one despond as to the future of our city! The business portion of it, though now in ruins, is in the main, the property’ of individuals who have abundant means to clear away the ruins and to rebuild, or of traitors who have fled to the enemy, and who have in their base disloy alty forfeited their estates to the Confederacy. Doubtless our Government Authorities in the rich harvest they have thus reaped, will not hesitate so to dispose of it, as that its proceeds may be applied to the clearing away and re building of the city. W r hat Atlanta now first needs is energetic, good government. This, combined with devo ted loyalty and enterprise on the part of her citizens, and she will soon rise from her ashes. We write of loyalty for the reason that ever since the day Georgia seceded from the old and rotton Union, Atlanta has been cursed with the presence of men and women who were as spies in its midst, and did all in their power secretly to promote its downfall. The number of those who have gone over to the enemy is, though too late, proof strong as holy writ, of their disloyal proclivities. In the fu ture, Atlanta must not contain, must not feed, and must not, as she has heretofore, done tolerate the presence of such as citizens, much less place them high in positions. There should, too, in the future, be unity of action, and devotion to the city’s interests, on the part of its present and coming citizens. Wo want no drones in cur midst. Such legislation, too, as under its peculiar condition, our city has a right to ask from Congress and the State Legislature, must be speedily invoked, and we doubt not what is asked for, will be promptly granted. But her citizens must “put their own shoulders to the wheel,” and pull hard themselves to draw her out of the slough into which Yankee ferocity and Yankee vengeance have cast her. Efforts like these will soon restore her to her former greatness. For our own part, and we say it for the Proprietor of this Journal, our lot is cast in the “Gate City.” It is our home, and thank God, we are again in it. All that we can do to promote its fu ture prosperity, as we have done in the past, shall be done. At its past, nor at its present, are we dismayed. Outraged, we are not con quered. Overrun, we are not subdued. At home again, after an exile of a few months, we feel buoyant in looking to the future, doubting not that/’He who giveth the Victory,’' will in His own good time give to the Confed eracy that Independence, lor which so much blood has been shed by her own patriotic sons, and for which Atlanta has suffered so much — alas ! so much 1 MARRIED. On the 22d inst., at the residence of John D. Car ter, by the Rev. Artemua Wright, Leon Wyman, of Montgomery, and Miss Victoria Hoxky, of this city. Funeral Services. The funeral sermon of Lieut. Henry L. Thomas will be preached at St. Paul’s Church, Sunday morning, 10 o’clock. Relatives and friends of the family are respeotfully invited to attend, dec 24 It* —a—^ Notice. Headquarters Post, ) 1 Columbus, Ga. t December 23,1864, > Owners who have had negroes engaged on the for tifications about Columbus, and who have taken them away, or whose negroes have left the works and returned home, are hereby notified that strin gent orders have been received at these headquar ters to have all such negroes collected again. Planters are hereby notified to return all such negroes without delay, or subject themselves to have some sent Ifor by a force of cavalry, detailed here fox that purpose. The hands are required to be returned on or before 29th inst,, from which date the cavalry will proceed to collect all that have not been sent in. S. L. BISHOP, dec 6t Ma;. Corn'd* Pul. For Justice Inferior Court. We are authorized to announce JAMES A. WHITESIDE, a? a candidate for Justice of the In ferior Court of Muscogee oounty. dec 24 tde* For Justice Inferior Court. The friends oi GFORGE W. DOUGL ASS an' nounce him as a candidate lor the office of Justice of the Inferior Court of .Muscogee county, on the first Monday in January next, he being unable, by reason of disbility, for military duty, deo 24 tde* Wanted. “Negro Laborers, Carpenters and Blacksmiths.” V\T E wish to hire for the ensuing year 25 Laborers and eight to Un Blacksmiths and Carpenters to work in Government employ, which will exeniDt negroes from conscription. We will pay oed prices for smart and active fellows. For particu lars apply at our Governmeft Works, near the JOH * D - For Sale. T INSEED OIL CAKE, for stock food, at S4JBroad ' JLi street. V p v . ri t, .y/y deo 21 Ira J. r. a ML k CO. Notice to Debtors and Creditors i LL persons haviDg claims ag»in*t the estate of t. Mrs. Lt. K. Cairn es. dec’d, late of Muscogee county, are hereby notified to render them duly a*- thentieated within the time prescribed by law: and those indebted to said estate are requested to make inunediateDaymeut. F 0. TIOKNOR, wOCf w(vd s4cUr*9 dee 24 St TECH CITY. T. J. JACKSON LOCAL KDITOK- Thb Holihats. —In order to give our employ ee* a breathing spoil, as well as opportunity te enjoy the time honored festivities es Christmas times, ao paper will be issued from this office un til Tuesday noon. Ia the meantime should any important news come to hand our readers shall hare the benefit of it in slips. — ■■■ Remember the Christmas Tree and dinner for the benefit of the Free School, at Jacques’ build ing to-day. Lend a helping hand if you would feel the happiness of doing a good deed. —i t m* Auctioh Sales.— The sale of hogs, cotton, Ac., by Ellis and Cos., advertised to take place at the wharf will come off at their store to day. Re member the change. Clhristmas. A merry Christmas to you, Reader, Patron and friend! A merry Christmas to each and every creature of the human kind, whose eyes may fall on these lines. In the festivities of this time-hon ored holiday, may the old forget the burthon of years, and flit back again with a hop skip and a jump of the imagination to the days of innocent childhood and blithesome youth; may they revel over again in bright visions of well-filled stockings, Ac., glorious Christmas boxes, heaping full of the bountiful offerings of that fairy friend of children —the good St. Nicholas, or Kris Kringle and San ta Claus, as he is familiarly called. May the children rehearse upon this happy day, the same drama or new born life, with its world of fresh feelings just awakening in their young souls to the happiness of enjoyment—of existence, in which their progenitors have aeted their part for more than one thousand years. In the gathered family circle, where roast Turkios and Mince Pies crown the plenteous board, may the domestic af fections take deep root, and lasting principles of truth, honor and duty, be grafted iu their plastio hearts. And let the heart of the lone mether, whose earthly prospects have all faded away be fore the lurid glare of desolating war forget for the day the cankering troubles of the past, and catch fresh inspirations, as she looks forward tea brighter day, when all these things will be forgot ten in a glorious re union with the lost and loved. Let too the hearts of the numberless orphans es this bloody era rise in their aspirations to the or phan’s God who will assuredly wipe away their tears, and secure to them the measure of their oil and meal. To-day let all, who can, forget sor row, and turn from the darker to the brighter side es the picture of life. Let the proud and the passionate exercise humility ; the humble take courage from their own immortal souls, aad in the honest boldness of innocence, dash from them, that cold crust of bashful reserve, under which talent and worth hare so often fouad a liv ing grave. Let the rich remember the poor, and “do charity—“sweet charity.” poor ! God bless the poor! Let them call to aid the minis tering angels of fortitude and patience, to endure the load of life, which for purposes inscrutable te human eyes, they have been called, to bear through, to them, the weary journey of life. Let them, lift up their hearts, and take comfort this festal day. Devote it te the detection es the cau ses of their poverty. Is it for want of industry ? Labor, with dilligencs and contentment, and abundanoe will be your reward. From whatever cause it proceeds, resolve to«daj, to repair it.— Franklin was once as poor as you. He died the admiration es the world, and his fame will live while man lives, to gaze upon his great name written in lightning on the summer clouds. In this broad land, none need be poor for any length of time, who have the hearts, the hands the health to earve subsistence, if not fortune, out es the vast quarry of human life. Christmas, the feast es Christs’ birth, is not so generally or so elaborately celebrated iu the Con federacy as in some parts of the old world. The Church of England and the great body of Euro pean Protestants observe the day. In tho Catho lic Church, three masses are performed—ene at midnight, oae at daylight and one in the morning. The midnight mass we believe took its origin frem the fact stated in the Gospel of St. Luke, that Christ was born in the night of the 24th Dec. It is said that in the Greek and Roman Churches, upou this occasion, the manger and holy family, Ac., are represented at large. The Franciscans in Rome are famous for this, and attract large crowds by the exhibitions. Ia this country we holier* that th* Episcopali ans are the only Protestant sect who celebrate the day religiously. These go no farther than the performance of Church serrice and th* deeeration of their Churches with ever-greena. Th* custom of making Christmas presents is ▼ery ancient, and is derived from an old heathen usage, practiced at the birth of Sol—a Roman feast which took place on the 25th of Deeember. It is most prevalent in Germany, and is a good custom ereywhere. Certainly the children think so. We fear eur little friends to-day will find but little recompense in their efforts jto greet their j friends with a “merry Christmas !” We once knew ; whereto advise you to call and replenish your store of toys and bonmots, but alas ! the Struppers' and the Phelps, like the rest of mankind have chang ed much in their capacities to please, and we fear IfW can debut little for you to-day. We think j the surest plan for our young readers to make I themselves happy on this occasion will be co fill their baskets with good things, and their purses with money, and search out in our city the unfor tunate children of destitution and want and min ister to their necessities. Their little lips, hearts and eyes will bless you, and you will a con scious happiness that all the gilded trinkets fa th* world ceuld not impart. | Thb Ladiis’ Fair. —Notwitnstanding th* ia i tensely cold weather on Thursday evening, the | Ladies’ Fair for the soldier’s benefit was attended ; by a very brilliant array of beauty and chivaly> | and we should suppose quite a handsome sum of money was realized. This fair, like everything of the kind undertaken by our ladies, was arrang | ed in exquisite taste, and reflected great credit | upon th* heads and hearts of all interested in get ting it up. The old store rooms of Hull and Dnek and J. H. Daniel were handsomely deoerated with evergreen* and artificial flowers, and brilliantly I illuminated by gas, tapers, tallow, wax and sperm candles, as well as by the eyes of an unrivaled gal axy of beautiful women. Numerous articles of delicate handiwork graced the miniature trees, tables and stands, while the melodious chattering of voices soft and low, made the eircumambient atmosphere redolent with a bewitching harmony as dnlet toned as the veriabie intonations of innu merable water-falls. But what struck >te most forcibly during the evening (excepting the bright eyes, seraphic smiles, and mellifluous tones, of a captivating in dweller of crinoline, in connection with wham our memory recalled some most remautic and thril linglj interesting reminiscencies) was the magnifi cent array of good things prepared by the fair sex for tha comfort of the inner man, censisting of meats, confectionery, liquors, Ac., which oould not fail to strike :he fancy es a hungry local. Through the kindness of a lady friend, we were “fixed np" in most comfortable Style, and are oven bow living over in imraaginatien the grateful repast. Long live the ladies, and saccess to them in all their efforts*to ameliorate 'he condition of the suffering soldier, as well as of the hnuable peer in ear midst. 1 Shot. — We learn that a boy named Alon/,e Rea ry accidently shot himself yesterday morning while out hunting near the Muscogee depot. Tho shot took effect in the head. The boy was ns* dead at last accounts, though considered in a precarious condition. ■■■ .. ""-"--'—-tv'"- _ The Reserve Militia. The following is Governor Brown’s order furloughing the Reserve Militia forces en camped at Macon. It will be seen that he im poses a number of duties upon them at home, which if rightly performed, it is hoped, wilt exert quite a beneficial influence on society Hbadquartirs, V Macon, Ga., Dec. 19, 1864. / General Order, No. —.] I. All parts of the State, except the sea coast and a small garrison at Dalton, being relieved from the presence of the enemy, the Reserve Militia who have responded to the last call of the Governor, and are now im camps of organization, who have not been or dered to report to Major General Smith, are hereby furloughed until further orders from these headquarters. 11. The organizations completed in camp, or at home under special orders, will be main tained subject to any future call which necessi ty may, in the opinion of his Excellency, de mand. In the meantime, they will, under the direction of the officers commanding in their respective counties, perform police and patrol duty for two days, to-wit: Friday and Saturday in each week. They will extend all needful protection to citizens, and special care will be taken to guard the homes of wives and families of soldiers who have died, or who are in service, from depredations of thieves and marauders. They will arrest all strag glers and deserters, and send them, if Con federates, to the nearest military post—or, if State troops, to the Commandant of the Camp at Macon. 111. They will arrest all men under fifty years of age subject to serve with the troops under Gen. G. W. Smith, and send such to tho Commandant at Macon, to be forwarded to their command. IV. They will at all times, act as a county police, and arrest all suspicious persons liable to service, examine their papers, and send all such as are attempting to pass without proper authority, to the Commandant of the nearest military post. V. Officers in command of companies will repoit weekly to their superior officers, com manding Regiments or Battalions ; aud these will make monthly reports to Headquarters VI. The Militia in any county, who do not conform promptly to these orders, will be held for field duty. VII. All men in the various counties sub ject to the call of his Excelloncy, of the 19ih ult., and who have failed to report for duly, will be required to perform such extra service, in their respective counties, as the officer com manding shall deem necessary. VIII. All armed details, sent to the various counties to arrest and bring up persons refus ing to respond, will report to their respective camps, with the persona arrested, and will de liver them to the commandants of *he camp to be reported by them to the Comraander-ii- Chief for proper action. They will, on their return, deliver their arms to the commandant of their camp, and then be released on fur lough, under these General Orders. IX. The Commander-in-Chief takes tbw occasion to express his thanks to the Reserve Militia, who have responded with Buch alae rity to the call of their State in her hour of trial. By order of JOSEPH E. BROWN, Governor and Commander-in-Chief. W. K. DbGraffenrkip, Major and A. A.€, Printer Wanted. A good COMPOSITOR can find permanent em ployment by immediate application at this offiee. dec 19 ts AUCTION SALES. By Ellis, Livingston & Cos. WE will sell on Saturday, December, 24th, at M o’clock, in front of our Auction Room -40 Fattening and Stock Hogs, 2 Cow* and Calves and many other articles Plantation use. —also— -20 Bales ol Cotton. 6 bbls. Corn Whiskey, 3000 Florida Cigars, old and fin«, 100 lbs. Cast Steel, Glass Decanters, Jars, Bowls, Pitchers, Clothing, Bedsteads, &c. dec 23 $lB Notice, In the absence of Dr. T. J. WORD, lam author ized and revested to collect his accounts as early as possible. Persons indebted to him will please (cal and settle immediately. dec 23 4t J. W. SAPPINGTOX. HO FOR ATLANTA! The Southern Express Company will receive freight (under forty pounds each package) and money parcels for Atlanta via Macon & Western Railroad, from this date. S. 11. RILL, dec 6 ts _ Agent Headquarters Conscript Skrvick, Ga. 1 Augusta, Dec. 13, 1984-1 Circular?* / No. 27, « In accordance with (orders from the Bnrean es Conscription, Enrolling Officers will return at one* all reports, directing the ariest of Deserters and ab sentees from the army, which were issued (prior to the Ist July, 1864 ; with a report of their action thu far, in endeavoring to secure their arrest. JNO. F. ANDREWS, Major and Acting Commd't dec 21 3t Conscripts,'Georgia. At Home Again, THOSE wanting cutting done will please eaM, I am at your service. C. H. JONES, 134, Rroati street, Columbus, Ga dec 21 4t LOST, A Confederate States Certificate for 4 per seat. Bonds, issued by W. H. Young, Depositary, *t Columbus, dated March 14, 1564, and numbered 1238, for Six Thousand Dollars. The public is cau tioned from trading for said Certificate, as appliea tion has been made for a duplicate. dee 21 lm2w* H. BLACKMAI. YARNS axad OSNARIKtHI TO EXCHANGE FOR GROUND PDAS, At the GRANT FACTORY. dec 17 ts SSOO Ren aril. CTOLEN from my stable, theßth inst., a small dap u pie cream PONY, white mane and tail, astalion. very fat, four years old. Will pay S2OO for the poar ana S3OO for the theif, delivered to me in Amerieoe. Ga, or E. J. Pinckard, in Columbus, Ga. dec 15 2w R. C. BLACK SSO Reward. LEFT my lot on Monday last a RED COW, me dium size, heavy with calf, mark : slit and ero? in one ear and slit in the other, with white spot her face, small horns turned unwards. ( dec 19 6t* JOHN McGOTER* , To Printers ! WE offer for sale a complete BOOK BlSDßßY (exceptßul ng Machine,) two hand and about 1,000 Poiilids of Type Metal. nov2l-tf Everybody Look Here. WILL be sold on the 10th January, 1865, on th* plantation of John H<S*ard, Jr., on Plia t diver, on the Colu nbns brunch of the 8. W.-V R.. all the corn, fodder, peas, mule: , cattle, hog* plantation implements. Terms cash, At the same tiLi.» will be rented the plantation •* eight hundred acres, and hired for the year. a like ly set of plantation negroee, for good notes with a* - proved securities. R. R HOWARD, td* '-sm Ageet.