*IMO. •' - I A gs,, a 94 l ,fk et; PMlTt I.j.dfigh.loAetAgesiil itt on "capture' til'• a Iltelbn
THE Riii3ET, SALTAND tE s kr) WORKS
In Sonth-Western Virginia, notwithstanding
rebel boasts Of victory, by Breckenrid g e, id
their.defutice, 'have been captured byour
forces. This ices a 'vital point to the rebels,
as their enplane s - ef Salt and Lead were
chiefly drewn 'Morn these places.
temouttra.tions are also being made by
our ferces upon Mobile, in the South-West,
eml upon Gordonsville, in eastern Virginia
and various other points, showing - unusual
activity and energy in our armies.
Upon the whole, the Union cause loelts .
cheering everywhere, and a corresponding'
depress* is telt Througout rebeldom just at
this time.. Foor's remarkable speech fn the
rebel Congress is evidence of this. The large
vete of 24 to 40 in favor of peace proposi
tions, in the rebel Senate, and the voce in
the North Carolina Legislature by which
similar propositions were barely voted down,
is additional and conclusive evidence of a
belief that the Confederacy is decidedly an
the decline.
ghe
R. W. JONES.
JAS. S. JENNINGS,i Editors.
"One Country, One Constitution, One
Destiny."
13EMEE3MM
‘SMIII§ , WWW I 4,I V)±,2
WEDNESDAY, JAN, 4,1865,
MONEY ! MONEY ! !
The eat•rent expenses of a newspaper
office in these war times are enormous,
and can only be met by prompt pay_
aunts on the part of patrons. We re
now paying over THREE TIMES as much
.!Hr paper as we did three years ago, and
, corresponding advances have been made
qtrthe price of other printing materials.
In i a&Ation to all this, the wages of labor
are higher than ever before since the
„estOlishment of the paper, while the
•igiceesities of, life command equally ea
-4 oiaput rates. 'Under these circum
;latices, we must -insist on our subscri-
joqrvemeMbering us in a Ettbstantial
.
Amy, by matong •prompt payments.
every patrpn who knows himself
kto be in at - rears on our Looks immedi-
f it l~t y c~ill
and settle his account It
7,354:441ieve us from embarrassment and
ve 4:some heart for our work, whie%
.I.w: . •
lit:btet pays bit a trifle and nothing
A- I .42,:as_iv ell as any other business pur
isuit.
e 'hands, lose no timo in SETTLING
-
c.;
The Military .Situation
h-abinuelx improved since our last publiea
stion, in all our armies. eTcppf +b .f ;n
itechtnOnd, which remains pretty much in
Motu gtio.
GIN. SHEEVAN
Am reached the rebel coast, unharmed, and
fipast.witlmut a skirmish, much less a regli
las.batbe, notwithstanding tho reports from
*pi sources to the contrary. A cavalry
illOg Dr two eanstituted the entire oppo
sition to his most masterly and unparalled
campaign across the confederacy. He took
Savannah. with much rich spoil, on the 2lst
eif Deem ber,'w it bout the firing of a gun—
having' previously ca.ptuaed Fort McAlister,
just below the city; with very little. trouble,
With the city was _captured about a thot:stm.l
wisOneria, immensc military stores, railroad
Fars, steam boats And about 25,000_ bales of
4etton worth itself, in the market not less
411D1 fifteen million or dollars ! General
Hardee contrived to slip out of the city, by
.night, girth the garrison, numbering some
800. The forts below the citT, as we
Allidersttaid,"are vacated, being both worth
less to the enemy, and untenable by
.them
with the city in our possession. The Naval
forces under Coin. Dalghreen, are iu com
,..
flete . cooperation with the army, and have
Aiings entirely under their control. There
is nothing in the way of taking Augusta, on
the Savannah river, and making it the base 9t
iftiture operations, it desired. What MI
-I>ortant moveinent General Sherman will
: next undertake, of tour: e, is a matter ot
Cifnjecture. An expedition warted West, it
ivhe supposed, to Andersouville, to restore to
. freq,dcrm, some twenty thousand ot our
Owners confined there. This done,
"Pharleston or Wilmington would seem to
be the next in order.
This successful and brilliant cranpaign
thaittMeneral Sherman as the foremost of
our Generals now in service.
GEN. TimmAs,
lias been equally successful in the Sou th
7est,- having badly whipi*d flood in every
&test from Franklin to Nashville, and from
ik o shville to Alabama. MI accounts, rebel
suAnion, Concur in * the conclusion that
Hood is irrecoverabley whipped and driven
it thefrit of Thomas, and hopes are enter
tained` that he may yet, with his army, be
iiPttreit before he crosses the Tennessee
dyer, 'which is quite highwnd difficult to
cerottsed,. with the loss of his pontoon
*Ales, which is said to be the case with
..e 'Wilmington expeditioh under Porraw
Isaltqfkrittat, has; attQr the usual dililcultie4
In iiassing Cape Hattera§ In the winter,
ded its destination thud been heard from.
t fisher was attacked on Set - Imlay and
fitindai, the 24th .and 25th ult. Some dam
ge....a-#‘done but it was r 4 captured at
tail .dates, though another tort in the
ikii i hil was, -a ittr its . guns and de
-1411111e,Wfi-.Mlsbirris Ttgarded as one of the
okaggesailittaiigtlistCsaideracy , VA the
lalliboskatArilol6#o,l -die : 440s t 41101coit of
dwityligiA thii . bceiiiool4l . .:" large vessels.
Wiliihall illotibias lieat- tylori film this ex
;
tiblija. i fete clays. Co4t4Porai: is of a
tug ato9k AO.lias; already a reßtfiktiotr
f tis war, of ingloirfiesblcz energy and epur-
Another Drag!
When the Democratte speaker: and news
papers. asserted, during the late Presidential
canvas, that the re-election of Mr. Lincoln
would be speedily followed by another.draft,
Assistant Secretary Whiting vehemently de
nied it almost officially, in a speech which
he delivered, in New York, denouncing it as
an injurious calumny intended to defeat Mr.
Lincoln's election. We all recollect- the of
ficial statement of Secretary Stanton that
General Grant only needed a hundred thous
and more men to take Richmond and finish
up the Rebellion But then things took
lilac hy'ore the election, when it was ne
cessary in the estimation of those in the .
possession of the immense power and patro
nage of the government. that the people
should be humbugged and deceived. What
cared they for truth or consistency, if they
could be continued in fat offices
But is another Draft really necessary ?
The people,who have already made so many
sacrifices in this war, have a right to a ca
orlcal answer to this questiot. It is well
known that our army is already nearly dou
ble that of the enemy. It is .true that
much of it is, or was, lately, scattered over
-the country, doing Provost duty, but now, ,i
thdt.the Elections tire over, we think, would 4
be a favorable time to recall them to the
more appropriate duties in the field. We
are told, also, that the well deserved fame of
General Hancock is rapidly filling up the
"Veteran corps" for which he is known to
be recruiting, and with the aid of the liberal
bounties offered by the government, (which
might be judiciously stimulated by local
bounties,) we should think there would be
but little difficulty in raising the twenty
thousand fe.erans called for, who would be
worth three times their number of raw and
unwilling recruits. Then, again, if we take
the newspaper accounts, which we think for
once are sustained, the rebellion is rapidly
declining in force and volume, and ought to
be successful) , assailed by the armies we
already have in the field.
W. umt moo ',omit tie a rayura
ble time for the administration to offer such
inducements to the rebels to return to their
allegiance as citizens of the Union, as would
seperate the masses of the people of the
South from their leaders, and thus make it
impossible for those leaders to succeed in
their project of a permanent seperation of
the States.
Measures looking to peace and a -eturn of
the rebels to their legal and constitutional
duties in the Union, is the true policy of the
dininistraCon, We think, just now, and is
ctra'nly the de:Are of the people both North
and South, and e ' arts looking in this d tree
tion Would be hailed with joy everyw here.
==l!El
The attack upon Fort Fisher, near
Wilmington, has proved a failure..
Gen Butler has returned 0 the army of
Virginia with his portion of the forces,
not without a decided protest ftom Com.
Porter that his opinion was that the
army might have made greater, efforts,
after going so fax to try. He says in
his report to the SecetarS; of the Navy :
I don't pretend to put my opinion in
opposition to General Weitzel, who is a
thorough soldier and and able engineer,
and whose business it is to know more
of assaulting than I do: But I can't help
thinking that it was worth while to mate the
wimp, after coming so far.
Hon. John L. Dawson.
This distinguished Democratic States
man was elected to Congress in 1862,
from the Fayette, 'Westmoreland and
Indiana districts, - receiving a majority
on the home vote of 22.5. In the recent.
contest he was re"-electel, receiving a
majority- on the home vote of 68.5,
which was reduced by the army vote to
12.5—and this is the official majority,
about which there can be no dispute.
It is not true that there . have been votes
received since the election and filed in
the office of the Secetary of the Com
monwealth, which alters this result.
On the contrary, the records show that
he has a majority over all the votes,
regular and irregular. The miscon
ception arose from the fact that some of
the duplicates of soldiers. votes whicn
had been counted in with the county re- 7 .
turns, were received at the Secretary's
office afterwards, and before being
closely examined were supposed to have
turned the scale against Mr. Dawson.
Ou thorough examination, the result is
se plainly in favor OfDawson, that there
is not the slightest danger of the seals
being. giVen to. his tompetitoi eVe'n : by
a Republican house.—Post. 41
iIEADQIIART£RN Dgr. Pao.
Waynesbnrg; Pa., Dec. 10864. )
The enrollment lists of the several town
ships are now in the hands of the respective
enrolling officers tor correction. All:persons.
aro requedieto assist t thiofficers 14 making
the proper chßiges. • •
• C. W. TAYLOR, Pep. Pro. Mar.
mirti is right to be ebnti3nted with
wbat we have, but never with. what
Ave •
• • .
• P houses
frintnlta should-Et. throw stones'? Or didst thou ever
read that v.onplet of "Bobby" Burns,
"Theie's a chile amang, you takin' notes
And faith he'll prener-7,theasA'?
'-To all.whom itlnareimcmin,"the writer of
thiS sotto-cornie paper' would' say. that he
tfiinke there is abundantioom.lor reform in W,
in morals, manners at:Melt - sal, and that his
friend .:!) Miss Limejuice, alias " Fanny Fern
No. no matter who, ju..t
now, may enlighten us all, and immortalize
herrlf, right here in Greene County, if she
will 'only condescend to do so. Furthermore,
Fat the hleste . iter
Gt•TOtTT, 1): • C., 1
Sepbeniberß3l34. .
Eclit . ors I} - akne*7yrg -..iress6n ; ,Yee :•
Hoping you will not 'cons . iderit an intrusion
for Soldiers to ask fa your
columns, we desire through them to thank
Hon: - Jesse Lazear, of your place, tor, the
disinterested kindueis shOwit •iis by him in
.this city.. We were, neither of us, acquartit-_
ed with hiM before, but being'in need of a
friends assistance, applied to him as our
representative. We found in him not only
man to represent his constituents
but a warm, personal friend of any soldier
requiring his aid. We were both in limiter'
circumstances, and neither his purse or door
were shut to us. Mr.. Lazear was id the
habit of visiting the hospitals frequently,
and contributing to the wants of the sick
soldiers of his district, mid. the State gener
ally. We know of several who tender him
• their warmest thanks. We did not have the
pleasure of seeing Mr. Lazear for some time
before he left to thank him personally, and
now wish to do so publicaliv.
Trusting to your generosity to piWli-,11
this card, we are, very respectfully, your
otediant servants. FRANK ROSE,
Company A., 100th Perm'a., Volt:
T.
Late color hearer looth Penn's., Volt=
W t-411N(,ToN, 1): , Dec. to, 'l;4
if,. J::lo,•—Sir :—I sent you the
foregoing at its date and :is I never
heard of it, I supposed pit had receiv
ed it, and not wishing to publish it had
laid it aside ; but a friend of mine, of
your acquaintance that I saw her:: to
day, informed me you never received
it. I do not see how it could have
been lost, directed as it was, as follows :
"Editor Waynesburg Messenger,
Greene co., Penn'a."
If you will now publish it with this
note I will feel much obliged. I desire
anxiously that Mr. Lazear's consti
tuents Should know even now, that he
was ever the soldiers' friend,
Respcetfullv, your obit. ser,y't„
THolursoN 131 R'lt&,
Washington Gecrgetostn
Rail Road
Fur the Me'ssenger.
Fanny Fern No. 2," Reviewed.
Ea=
TlO- man of. indyrudent mind
H e looks and lanahs at a' that
It would seem by the last "Republican" th•l t
sonic young damsel, Ile doubt an advocate or
"woman's rights," has taken it into her head
to give certain young men of our town a "cur
tain lecture" on dress, and especially on "high
hats." This may all be right, or it may: not,
but certain we are that we shall express our
opinion shout
Now, if we were one of those young men re
ferred to by the .thuersalt.l, we should
talk somowhat like this And that our very
acute (!) critic may not deny the validity of our
argument, we will cast it in the mould of good
Aristotelian logic. Our first proposition is,
Men may wear just what kind of tiles they
please In a free conntry. Second proposition,
America is, (or 'used to was") a free country.
Mende,. conclusion, Waynesburg men may
wear just what kind of tiles they please,—Kos•
su h, rough-and-ready, "slit kum-glazer," of
"high hate." For, "whattver is true of the
whole, is trut of a part," [Gecw. aXiontj, and
Waynesburg I.eing "a part " of America.
:"small fry" theugh it be(, has the right to
adopt nny fashion Philadelphia has. We will
submit this argument to President
Prof. Scott, 'or any other man," as to the
truth of its facts, and the soundness of its rea
soning. Having then indul•itally proved our
"inalienable right" to wear "high hats," we
nest. proceed, to show its exprdienCy.
When one is going to purchase furniture;
F quip' ge, or dress,--which latter will include%
hats, even ••high hats," l -there will occur to
hin't, perhaps, three questions: 1. Is it com
fortable and convenient ? Does it suit my
taste ? . Can I afford it ? These three in
ttrrog?tories bring answered satisfactorily,
there remains nothing else to do,' if you want
tne article. hut, in the language of the immor
tal Davy Crockett, to "go ahead." lff could
answer these questions ii the affirmative, I
‘,,ould like to see the man, even in these oil
absorbing times, (or woman either), who would
prevent me from wearing just what I pleased.
Let us then apply these touchstones to the
high silk hat, and "we shall see what we shall
see." 1. is it comfortable and convenient ?
'l' he universal voice and practice of mankind
is quite sufficient on this point. It is well
known 'that this , style of hat is worn all over
lb.; civilized world except in our town. It is
hardly to he expected that all the rest of the
world are wrong on this subject,
,or rather, no
to be.expeeted.iit.till. • No one pretends to de
ny the incovenierice of the silk hat in a storm,
a stage, or a car; neither would our fair critic
wear her "love of a bonnet" in such places; bu t
the case is "slightually" ditterent on. a prom
enade, or going to church, of, a tine day. 2.
Dues it suit your taste.? Were we speaking
for ourselves alone, we would say yes ; but as
we are trying to defend these young men from
the attacks of this Atnaion,and have not talk
ed to them intimately on the subject, we can
not speak so positively for them. Dut the pre
sumption always ; is, that a man's dress is an
exponent of his taste. And, let me say to these
young men, although now my age causes me.
t o pay less attention to fine clothes-than for
merly, that I still love to wear a tine silk hat
when occasion suits, or when I choose to dress
myself with taste; and I thank them for intro•
duciog this hat, for it. is very unpleasant to a
sensitive man not to be able to carry out a ra
tional taste without being "the of ierved of all
observerashe.passes quietlyakong tYe,street.,
3. Can "I afford it I"fis quesition' scarcely
needs a comment. If a limn cannot .a&rd to
dress inlim style that he does, it is no affair of
Iris neighbor's; and in n'ne cases out of ten, in
our villages, every man dresses within hi s
Means. I wish I could soy as 'much .of. that
ofher moiety 'of creation • to which
Fern No. 2" belongs. There is much - more
that 1 had laid out to say in this article, but ho
ping to hear from this fair damsel again, per.
haps it is as , : ceifto'keep.i few shots .ready in
the -loeker.
Now, /1/iss Lionejniee, tsqeh is the. tame by
which we shall , designate odr &iv elide), 'a
word in a quiet way to you. Did it Ever' occur
to you that there is a great deal of truth itr rite
I t Timothy Titeolob, Jr., will take most ex.
4eligbt in "showing up" htr views—
mark, I diden't say blowing up,—to “ye great
people" of W. impum pkin pie order.
Done at Bit ter.Sweet Attie, this 29th dav of
becettilier;eigliteini - hundred and "ever so tna
tiv.—
TENNESSEE.
ADVANCE OF HOOD'S ARMY AT
FLORENCE...
Our Cavalry Across Duck River,
The State of Tennessee now Free
from Rebels.
Coi.t - mntA, Tenn., Dec. 2S-3 A. M.
Front escaped prisoners who have just
arrived from Florence, I learn that the
advance of Hood's army reached Flor
ence on the evening of the 2.5 th, and
dining the whole of next day his inflmt
ry was crossing the river. 'From Duck
river, flood retreated rapidly to the
Tennessee: his main army not once
making a stand. Our cavalry ctossed
Duck river in time to have an ()erasion
al brush with Forrest's force, who cov
ered the enemies retreat. No fighting
of any consequence however, has occur
red since the affair at !pringhill. It is
safe to say that Tennessee is now free
from rebels.
The Bonabardment ofWllmlng
ton on Saturday and Sunday
—.4 Portion of Our Troops
Enter an Oytwork of .the
Fort—fond 11111 Battery Cap
tured. - ‘"
). ." : '' . lllA. Ntoftz, December 28
The Asgeciated Press correspondent
telegriiphs Me following from Fortress
Monroe: ' '
ForrrnEr 4 1S1( )); E, Dec. 27, )
via WAstuNtitox Dee. 28.
I have just arrived here, on- the San
tiago de Cuba, from oft Wilmington.
The attack on Fort Fisher commenced
at noon of Saturday, 24th, continued
all day,,waS resumed on Sunday, and
kept up with, great vigor all day. The
fort is much damaged. All the barracks
and store-houses were -burned, and the
gars icon driven to the bomb-proofs, and
scarcely venturing to reply. A small
portion of 'our 'troops landed. Sunday
afternoon, skit uished with great gal
lantry-, pushed up to the fort, and ac
hitilly entArect the work, and killed a
rebel bearer. 0; dispatches who was
entering.
Lieutenant Widlen, of the One Hun
dred and Forty-second New York recr
ilet) f, captured the rebel flag from the
outer*bastion,,, Our troops also captured
a whole battalion of the enemy; who
were outside of their works, but our
forces were withdrawn from the shore.
-111,7 h NS
When the Santiago de Cuba left the
bombardment N vas continuing.
On Sunday•the sailors- from the San
tiagoearttiied Pond Hill battery, with
.sixty five men, and brought the whole
party off tO. 7 the ships.
The toiv'do-boat was successfuly ex
:ploded on Saturday morning at 2 o'clock,
but with . 'wha,t..aucuss is not known.
. The iveatlier has: been most severe
at Ne‘the'rili'anil Roanoke Island. Tne
.oldest inhabitant' never `experienced
tqkch sekte storms.
MOVEMENT ON, MOBILE.
Rebels Routed near Franklin er.e(k
STRONG UNION SENTIMENT
IN MOBILZI.
Everything Progressing Fai'or
ably.
A Mobile dispatch of the Pith, says
' an infimtry force of another railing par
ty was - near Good'Mills and Pensacola on
611nd:13 , 0,1a its advance was driven
back several miles. Capt. Semites ar
rived at Mobile on the 19th, from Eu
rope via Matamoras
A diSl4teli,from New Oileans, De
cember 22d, s'Ay: An expedition, un
der Major Ginoral Granger, of consid
erable force ' J'anded at Pascagoula on
the 1504, aedvushed rapidly on towards
Mobile. A''brcif'skirmish occured on
the near Franklin Creek, and the
rebels • were 'quickly routed. Many
people rejoiced, at the sight of the Union
forces. The navy rendered valuable
aid to the troops in landing. Two
iron-clad gunboats have done up Pasca
goula river thirty miles, and everything
was progressing favorably. A refugee
reports but five thousand militia in Mo
bile,' and that a strong Union sentiment
prevails there. Marge reflection of
fire was obser6d near Meibile on the
19th, supposed to be caused by the
burning.of cotton.
The ,Cause Must be Upheld:
[From' the Rialmond - Whig, Dec. 94.;
Whateiver inky be - the opinions enter
tained in regard Ito the conduct of the',
war; there. is one point on which two.!
opinious, ayfr, iintsible Come what
may,• the'hiise must be upheld. Every
thing' thaVis dear. to Mau, every hope pf
Vic luture,iis . staked on this' cause.' It
may be that our rulers . have erred' in
their-judgmerrt. - of:inen; it May be that
they have been too . much guided by their.'
prectinclicea,still that-does not absolvo !
ust trona our allegianee .to the cause. • We
perishAras.people the mom eritilie strug-
Igle abandoned... . For • the . deliberate,
.dellgred purpupe ofthe'enemy is to
ea
terainabe raee of rebels; `
awillwrePtikeo'tbstitivith:t*gree's first, •
4ill*-Xlittkiefii *Row**
Fro.
.
Savennhh Republican on the butren , rashington city, as propased by his
render. resolution. The resohitiun; or the
NEW Y 01 -IX, 28.—The Saran-I gentl ellen ,from Mississppi contemplate
admit, too, that we have said to the
action, • I desire action upon them.
nab Rep
p ublican of the 21st says : By•
1 -•
the fortunes of war ; we to-day ass on
government of the tnited States, time
der the'arithority of the• Federal military
and again, that We are ready to nego
forces. We desire to counsel obedience
and all proper respect on the part of tiate with them for peace, by President
Davis, in his different messa!res, and by
our citizens, and to express the belief
that their property and persons
the late congressional manifesto. But
gill be
here is a proposition emanating directly
resnected by the military rulers.
front the people through their refreseu
peat the Atlanta expulsion order. we
The fear that Gen. f•ilerman 1611 re_ front
fresh bout the people
think is of doubtful foundation. Then, IH ere Mr, Adkins, of Tennessee, ask
he could not supply food for the citi-
ed him if he believed Mr. Lincoln ;
zens and army. In our case f. , od
can would entertain terms of t:cotiation
abundantly be supplied for the a ,- mt.-
unless upon' the terms indicated by him . -
-
and citizens. self.
It behooves all to keep within their Mr. Speaker, I thank my honorable
friend front Tennessee for having asked
houses until Sherman can organize the
Provost Marshal system.
me the question. I will sav to that
duct be such as to win the admiration Let our sou me
that I understood front my
•
rice no friend on the right; Mr. Foote, that Gen.
of a magnanimous fo e , and
ground for complaint or harsh treatment Grant has expressed a willingness to
on the part of hi m w h o may
, fn . an in Bishop Day. that he would receive any
definite period, boll possession ot our gentlumin or set aeon:mission/Ts, and
city Nvotilti invite alike number front his
government to meet ours at some point
to be agreed upon ; to endeavor to set
tle our difficulties. But, sir, let Mr.
Lincoln reject the •proposition if lie
please?, we shall lose nothin: by th e
effort. But, sir, it may he sail that I
all departing from 110 constitutional
mode of settling such questions.
II(..(; Mr. Barksdale interrupted, and
asked the vestion—if this is not the
only constitutional node?
Mr. speaker, I think so much of the
g - ontienuin from Mississippi, that I will
always allow' hint to ask. me a question.
I tell that gentleman that whilst his
plan i, comititutionai, there are other
plans which are not ml; institutional.
I claim that the gentlem ni al 1 myself
have t.sic right. as el•vi l eds, to
,f 2", :
and it' received by Genova' Gra it, we
could take the initiative st e p;, Or that
any inunher of g ‘'t nit Ali s
and that eaeh , it' e wire.;
eau d o so. Yes, sir. iii, Vir g iuit Leg
islature, now in seessio.), nt it they
see fit, commence to negroliate, and s )
The Herald's correspondent says :
't'he rebel Commodore limiter has gone
up the Savannah river with a couple
of light-draught gunboats. Wheeler's
cavalry, I Lathe's intinitry and Hunter's
fleet combined, are the obstacles to :Sher
man's march on Augusta by water
transportation.
Latest ftom General Thomas,
NEW YORK. December 26.—A special
to the Time,3. dated near Columbia, De
cember 23, s!.vs: The infantry, artillery
and ovalry fairly divide the honors of a
grear victory. The cavalry never have
acted so !dorionsly during any engage
ment in this section. Geo. [latch's di
vision Covered it4elf with glory, eaptlir
ing fifteen guns, firty-two wagons, ten
ambulance N , 73S priiioners, and three di
vision battle flag.:. His loss NV:I-i 100
men.
General Hood's pontoon 0 -1 16 1) 11 ge
has been captured. 'rite cavalry of
Hood's army have abandoned most of
their wagon trains. The cars will run
up to Duck river to-morrow.
Hancock's Corps
Thirty-eight appointments of cflicers
bay e thus far been made in General
Hancock's Vetelan Reserve Copps,
viz one Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel,
four Majors, sixteen Captains, four First
Lieu-tenants, and eight Second Lieuten
ants. The officers appointed, as a pre
liminary to receiving their commissions,
will be required to furnish a certain
number of veterans for their regiments;
Captain, at least forty privates; First
Lieutenant, twenty-five, and Second
Lieutenant, twenty.
Tho Confederate Congress
Discussion of Peace Proposi
tions—lmportant anti Excited
Debate in the House et Rep-
resentatives.
The proceedings of the Confederate
Congress on Saturday arc highly im
portant. In the Houie of Representa
tives, on the resolution of Mr. Turner,
of North Carolina, and the substitute of
Mr. M. Mullen. of Virginia, having the
floor, offered the following substitute for
both propositions:
W MERE Vs, According to the Declara
tion of Independence of the United
States, and the constitution of the Con
federate States,the people of each of said
States, in their highest sovereign capac
ity, have a right to alter, amend or
abolish the government under which
they live, and establish such other as
they may deem most expedient and
whereas, the people of the several Con
federate s_eats have thought proper to
sever their political connection with the
people and government in the United
States, fix reasons which it is not need
ful here to state; and whereas the peo
ple of the Confederate States have
organized al,d established a distinct
government for themselves: and where
as, because the people of the Confeder
ate States have thus exercised their un
doubted rights in this respect, the peo
ple of the government of the United
States have thought proper to make
war upon them: and whereas, there
seems to be a difference of opinion on the
part of the respective governments and
people as to which of the contending
parties is responsible for the commence
ment of the present war, therefore,
Resolved, Tnat while it is inexpedient,
and would be incompatable with the
dignity of the Confederate States to
send commissioners to Washington city
for the purpose of seeming a cessation
of hostilities, yet it would be, in the
judgment of this body, eminently prop
er that the House of Representatives of
the Confederate States should despatch
without delay to some convenient point,
9. body of commissioners : thirteen in
number, composed of one representa
tive from each of said States, to meet
and confer with such individuals as may
be appointed by the government of the
United States in regard to all outstand
ing difference between the two goy
' ernments, and to agree, if possible, up
on terms of a lasting and honorable
peace, subject to the ratification of the
respective governments, and of the sov
ereign States respectively represented
therein.
La the course of a speech made on
this question, Mr. Mullen said :
Mn. SPEAKER. I have given this
subject much reflection. I have pre
pared a preamble and resolution much
more acceptable to myself than any
ofThred to this House, and I bespeak
from gentlemen a clear and dispassion
ate consideration of them. I hope, sir,
that lam one of the last men in this
House to' do anything to reflect discred
it upon the Confederate government—
upon the proud old commonwealth of
Virginia,_ or on the district I have the
honor to, represent. Mr. Speaker, the
. gentlemen from North Carolina pro
poses to take some action in relation to
our patriotic soldiers now incarcerated
in Northern prisOns and dungeons, and
I ask the members if this is not a sub
ject worthy of their consideration and
action. I think it is. But, sir, I am
opposed to . sending commissioners to•
of inv and all the States. lint, sir, I
hold that the Congress of each govern-
inept possesses the war-making power,
but that the treaty making power rests
with the Senate and President of each
government ; and I claim that this
House has the power to appoint com
mis-ions to take the proper steps look
ing to a settlement of our difficulties.
Mr. Speaker, I desire to strengthen
and build up the peace party of the
North. Yes, sir, I want the people of
the North and of the Christian world
to know that this ullnatund and un
christian war has been forced upon us,
and that we have only exercised those
high natural and constitutional rights,
which were guaranteed to us by our
revolutionary fathers. Yes, sir, the
people or the North have peen commit
ting aggressions upon its since 1819,
up to the time we dissolved our ecm
neetion with them, and even up to this
day. Mr. Speaker, before I take my
seat I will move to refer this whole sub
ject to the Committee on Foreign Re
lations, so as to have a report from that
learned committee. But, again, I wish
to unite and conciliate all the people of
the South, and, more particularly, to
stop the mouths of Governor Brown
and Vice President Stephens, and all
others who have or may clamor for re
construction by negrutiations or other
wise.
Before the question was taken, an
other order came up, viz., the currency
bill.
Mr. Foote, of Tennessee, addressed
the House. The following are impor
tant extracts from his speech :
Mr. Foote said he saw much ground
for despondency and apprehensions in
every quarter. If this financial bill, said
he, is defeated in two houses of Con
gress, so admirably digested as it is, I
shall utterly despair of our cause ; if
this measure shall be defeated, I shall
regard the war as virtually at an end,
and all the generous hopes of our pa
triotic and much safe! ing countrymen
as erually and criminally blasted. It
the honorable gentlemen here suppose
that it is safe, at this perilous moment
of our history, to indulge in vain and
visi:mary experiments upon the curren
cy. If they regard tlic, present as a
suitable time for the utterance of such
language as we have heard in this hall
in the last forty-eight hours, looking
manifestly to the wholesale repudiation
of all our present currency, then do I
differ from them essentially. Sir,' I
beseech the honoral'le gentlemen, on
this last occasion perhaps that I shall
have the honor of addressing this House,
to look with me upon the present. con
dition of the country before they re
ceive or withhold their support from
this measure. 'What is our situation ?
Let us look danger in the face, and
provide for a shelter, it it is possible to
do so. Sir, we are anon the very edge
of ruin Our financial affairs are most
seriously disordered. Abroad, owing to
the most criminal mismanagement of
every kind, no respectful consideration
has been yet accorded to us, or seems
likely to be accorded hereafter. A
series of legislative acts have found sane
tion here which must be inevitably fatal
to State rights and State sovereignty
end to popular freedom, if not speedily
modified. Congress is rapidly abnega
ting all important powers, aunt building
up an irresponsible military despotism,
the like of which has never been seen
before upon this earth. Other acts are
in progress here, which, should they
pass, must produce popular convulsions
which will put our whole govermental
system in the most serious jeopardy ;
enormous abuses of power, heretofore
committed to the Executive Depart
ment, have occurred, which have every
where filled the minds of our country
men with distrust and alarm. Ten
days hence freedom of deliberation will
have been effectually extinguished in
this body, by means of which I may
not specify. The freedom of the press
will in all probability come to an end
about the same time, by the operation
of causes winch I have heretofere
dis
cussed in this hall. In the midst of,
these alarming oceurances, and while
corruption is known to be diffusing it
self along all the channels of official in
tercourse, what Is the condition of our
armies Lee is nobly and successfully
defendirio Richmord and Petersburg.
The unjust, ttn*lse, and deeply crirni
nal dis,placenient or the .gallaiit Johnson
from the command of the army in Tenn
essee, and the transfer of that army to
the • neighborhood of Nashville, has
opened all Southern Georgia, South
Carolina, Alabama to the army of Sher
man. Fort McAllister has fallen ; Sa
vannah is about to hill. The fide of
Charleston seems only to be deferred
few dayk later. Hood's army has. al
; ready met with a great disaster . at
Franklin, and is, in my judg,ment,. fa
tally compromised. Presidential inter
terenee is the cause of all these dire sus
-1 chiefs, as it was of the result of the un-
I fortumte battle of Murfreesboro', and
the still more disastrous one !at MiSsiona
,ry Ridge. Should Hood's army be -
de
stroyed—an event which I fear it but
too probable—and Sherman come
round to this viciniage in ships, as I
do not doubt he now intends, what will
be the fate of Richmond ? Sir, it is un
der such circumstances that it is deem
ed wise to throw unseemly obstructions'
in the way of passing an efficient finan
cial bill Is this the prop( r time to talk
about. repudiation ?- Is this the time to
refuse to entertain a proposition look
ing to an honorable peace? So think
niany in this House, who constitute a
majority; hut so do not I think. Sir,
I h a ve spoken out my views frankly and
explicitly, and now I wish to say to
the House, that the course of events
'here and elsewhere has been recently
such that I shad deem it a duty which
I cwe alike to my own character and to
the pricipl es which I have heretofore
steadily maintained, to withdraw from
this body altogether. I am a freeman,
and the representative of freemen,
and I know not how to legislate in
el sins. I will no longer be responsible
for measures adopted in secret sessions
of this body, which my whole soul ab
hors and my whole understanding con
demns. This, as I have already said,
is perhaps the last time that I will ad
dress this body or discuss the questions
here under consideration. I shall with
draw to some sequested spot, where I
can enjoy a little repose and freedom
from taxatioe. It disturbed in my re
treat by the hand of oppression, I wilt
seek in foreign climes that freedom and
happiness which I considered is denied
to me here.
The committee then arose, and on
motion, the House adjourned. .
Union Army Moving on. Gordons-
EMI
NEW Yomc, December 20.—The
Richmond Dispatch has news that the
Yankee column moving on Gordons
ville has made little progress, an ad
vance of fifteen hundred cavalry reach-
Madism Court House on Wednes -
day, the main body reported following.
On Friday, the cavalry advanced three
miles towards Gordonsville, and, at last
accounts skirmishing with the rebels
was reported at Gordonsville, and that
the objective point was Charlottesville.
It is rumored that Rosser is driving
them back.
A dispatch from Wilmington, after an
nouceing that the fleet disappeared in
a storm and returned again, says that
Gen. Leventhorp attacked the enemy's
gunboats and barges below Poplar Point
on Roanoke river, Tuesday evening.
The fight continued three hours. The
enemy was repulsed with loss: They
resumed the attack on Thursday and
landed some sharpshooters. The main
fleet of gunboats and transports remain
Mow in three.
The Montgomery Appeal, of tho 13th
has a dispatch that Davidson's raiding
column had not reached the Mobile and
Ohio railroad on the 10th. • General
Gardner is accumulating troops to meet
them, mid Maury is doing something at
Mobile. They are marching on Mobile
live .thousand five hundred strong.
Governor Watts, of Alabama, issued
a proclamation on the llth, saying that
Mobile was threatened by a large fiwce,
and he believed that the movement was
in conjunction with the gunboats in the'
haw. He calls out all citizens, and or
ders them at once to Mobile. Ile says
he will be there to command them. He
closes by sayin4, one more effort and
our cause will be safe; Tennessee is re
deemed; Georgia soon will be; 'Missis
sippi is aroused, and shall Alabama be a
lago•aid in the race for honor and glory.
Another proclamation was issued by
Gen. Green, of the Alabama militia, in
which he says that the enemy is within
twenty miles of Mobile.
The World's Fortress Monroe special
says that the rebel authorities are refus
ing to pay their troops unless they take
an oath to support the Confederacy four
years longer.
_____........____
TENNESSEE.
The New York 'flutes Report of Hood's
Def,at—He has Lost Nearly Half his
cam
NEW YORK Dec. 28.—The Times
has received a special dispatch from
Franklin, Tenn.' dated yesterday,
which says:
The i ebel retreat from rranklin to
Duck river beggars all description.
Hood told his corps commanders to.
get off the best way they could with
their commands.
The rebel army is now beyond Co-
Innibia
The railroad is but little impaired, and
trains run to Spring MIL The tele
graphic communication is all right in
all directions.
Johnsonville was not destroyed.
The rebel loss during the campaign
was 17,000 men, 51 cannon and 18.
general officers. Killed at , Franklin,
1,406; wounded, 3,800; and 1,000 pris
oners. Before Nashville and on the
retreat to Columbia, 3,000 killed and
wounded and 1,000 prisoners.
The Union loss at Franklin was 2,000,
and before Nashville less than 4,000.
The total Union loss will not exceed
7,000, with two generals slightly
wounded.
Hood has a pontoon bridge above
the slioals, on the Tennessee river,
where our gunboats cannot reach.
them.
HoOd marched on Franklin With. Of ? ,
000 men. and 65 pieces of artillery: lie
will hare lost nearly half his men.