" Sergeant O'Pake modestly stood
out of the ranks, and says he:

"Of course _you_ will go ahead of us, Captain?"

"Ha!" says Villiam, haughtily, "why?"

"Oh!" says the sergeant, "V., you know, always follows U."

Villiam was lost in thought for a moment, my boy, and then says he:
"That's true, Sergeant; and as U never comes until after T, we'll defer
that ere charge for the present."

Incidents of this kind are but common in this war between brethren,
which is so abhorrent to Democrats and the high-moral members of the
church.

Hoping, my boy, that, by relating the success of Rear Admiral Head and
Captain Samyule Sa-mith in my next, I may add two more illustrious
names to the list of candidates for the Presidency in 1865, I remain,

Yours, electorally,

ORPHEUS C. KERR.

LETTER XCIX.

IN WHICH OUR CORRESPONDENT IS BETRAYED INTO ARGUMENT; BUT RECOVERS
IN TIME TO GIVE US THE USUAL CHRISTMAS SONG AND STORY OF THE
RENOWNED BRIGADE.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 27th, 1863.

Another Christmas finds our great stragetic country in the toils of
war, my boy, and the chiming of the bells is lost in the roar of
ingenious artillery. Where blazes the yule log that misses not at least
one manly form from its genial ring of quivering Christmas light; and
where hangs the mistletoe bough beneath which at least one gentle,
womanly heart beats not the quicker with fond thoughts of the lad whose
first kiss upon her half-reluctant lips was destined to burn in future
there as her keepsake from a hero? Dear old Christmas! rich to memory
in all the simple joys and fond, familiar sanctities of home, thou
comest sadly upon me in my exile with the iron men of war, the waxen
men of politics; and though I hail thee merry for thy cheery
evergreens, God knows it is thy snow that presses nearest to my heart.
But a truce to sentiment, my boy, when the most sentimental object I
have seen for a week is the Conservative Kentucky Chap, whose imbibing
method of celebrating the approach of Christmas invariably leads him
into disquisitions upon the wrongs of the heroic White Man. On Tuesday,
as we took Richmond together, with the least bit of sugar in the world,
he leaned heavily upon me, and says he:

"The ancient State of Kentucky, of which I am a part, is growing sick
at the stomach to see how the Black Man is continually being raised
above the White Man; and Kentucky demands to be immediately informed
whether or no this war