The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1866-03-08

There baby no county in any of the
States Of the South more desolated by the war
than Culpeper county, Virginia. One can
ride on horseback entirely through the county,
in more than yne direction, or could until re-
Gently, wiz mt regarding the public road, and
without fh,ang his progress impeded by d
fence. There are prairies in different parts Of
Culpeper, like the praries Of the West; no
fences, no timber, and only at wide distances,
the walls Or ruins of house
Many churches that gathered the people be-
fore the war, are looked for now in vain, and
others that remain, remain only as by accident.
The inhabitants of the parts of the county
alluded to are subSisting on what is left them
of their former fortunes, but without any pro
ductive business inaugurated as yet, without
labor to drive Il business, without money to in
duce laborer otherwise than as sharer in the
risk.
A specimen of the desolation of the war is
the Presbyterian church, whose place of wor-
ship is at the Court house.
The war passed and re-passed over the heart
of the county, back and FORTH during four
years and more, like huge and terrible saw
over log The Presbyterian house of wor-
ship was hospital, guard house, and bar
racks, as the occasion or within suggested 1t
had its inner timbers withdrawn was under
mined recklessy, the bricks being loosened and
removed from the foundation for any use that
might occur to the soldiers Under these cir
cumstances, it being clear that worship could
not safely be held there again, the house and
lot were sold, but sold of course for the money
at the time in use, which now is not money at all
Now that the war is over, the membership
are poor practically, and penniless as a church,
with only a naked lot in the center Of the town
on which to build, but without the means of
building, while they are meeting for worship,
from Sabbath to Sabbath, in private houses.
This condition Of things is perilous to them
in another respect, in the fact that persons dis
posed to prefer the Presbyterian form Of wor-
ship, are all the time beckoned away by the
silent argument Of the good and comfortable
sanetuaries in which more favored societies are
still able to assemble
There are some ten Presbyterian families in
and near the Court house in this situation en-
deavoring uui,s. great Heterogeneous, to re-
institute productive life economy at home,
but wholly unable, and likely to be, for years
yet, to buy and build for religious purposes.
Yet they take pleasure in the stones of their
fallen Zion and favor the dust thereof
This is why, as their only expedient for the
present. they look abroad, and ask their fellow
Presbyterians, and fellow Christians, and fell
low men, and say, come, for the Lord sake,
and for the sake of the interest he may have
in us, and for the sake of whatever our service
as a Church is worth, and help us to get under
the shelter of his sanctuary once more
Any one desiring other and farther Informal
ton, or feeling it in his heart or her heart to
help, can address George Dabney Gray, Esq,
Culpeper Courthouse.
a. d. POLLOCK, Pastor.
ALEXANDER LAWRENCE,
WALTER SOMERvILLE, Elders.
GEORGE d. GRAY,