The Portland daily press., 1862-11-13
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from Summers Corps.

LIE NiI1, NOV. ~, lcoz
MEssRs. EDIToRs:-I furnish you the fol-
lowing, by permission, from an officer Of Sum-
ner's corps. MAQUoIT.
POSITION AS 1T wAs-THE ADVANCE.
remarked that the movement which Nc
Clellan has IL fear too late) made, is 'fank
movement Our line has been nearly paral
lei with the general course of the Potomac.
Harper's Ferry was the center. Had the ad-
vance been straight forward, the center would
have followed along the Winchester and Po-
tomac Railroad. The direction would have
been mainly southwest and the right wing
Of the army, with its extremity, brushing past
Martinsburg and at length touching the sec
ond range of mountains, would have swept
down the valley, while the left, at first below
the Shenandoah, would have been compelled
to cross that river and pass through the noun
tain gaps, in order to meet the enemy in the
vicinity of Winchester.
A "fank movement is, with given point,
to move to the right or left. Mcclellan has
struck off to the left, bringing such Of his
right wing as were to operate, down to Har-
per's Ferry. and, not only across the Potomac,
but across the Shenandoah at that point
He has seized upon all the mountain passes
and, in conjunction with Sigers corps, pre-
pared to strike the rebels at the same time
upon their right and rear.
Sickles, and doubtless Stoneman, command
ing another Division of Heintzelman's Corps,
Qate Kearney's Division, and containing Sd
and 4th Maine regiments,) seems to have his
eye upon Gordonsville and Richmond, regard
less of the startling fact that Lee, with his
whole army, was once at Winchester!
GEN. GEARY's COMMANDO. C. REG. NO. /.
Gen. Geary left in command at Harpgs
Ferry, has had one of the Divisions of the 18th
Corps, formerly Banks') containing three
brigades and nominally IA regiments; one,
the 1st District Columbia, however, having en-
tirely disappeared, from the commanding off,
Ger to the last private. This regiment counts
one all the same, from the high, and mighty
and loyal p d. c., although it consisted of
only two or three hundred men at first, and
has fast been FILTERED away to nothing.
Since Gen. Geary took charge of Harper's
Ferry, his command has been greatly enlarged,
and he now reckons with it many Of the new
regiments.
A CRYING EVIL.
You have had a description of this place,
tHarper's Ferry.) The troops, for the most
part, occupy the Heights. For their own
good, would that there were no necessity of
ever descending tothese slower regions~ 1t
seems as though they become loacer every day.
The prevalence of questionable and unques-
tionable females had become SO great that
Gen. Couch, there in command, was compelled
to issue an order that no females be allowed
to cross the river without passes from the Gen.
eral Commanding. Measures were also taken
to get rid of many who had established them
selves in the tenantless houses of the place.
FORTS UPON THE HEIGHTS.
The telling of trees upon the Heights to
make way for the fortifcations and give a
sweep to the guns, has laid bare many an un-
slightly spot. They are truly shorn of their
beauty, but their strength is just now begin
ming to accumulate. Have you noticed that
war first clips and crushes the beautiful
Soon it appropriates the useful, and then it
goes on in its devastation till the poor victims
who fall in its way are robbed of the very
necessaries of life, and do well if they are sub
jected to physical sufferings alone.
ESCAPE OF MAIL RoBBER.
News! News! Did / catch that word ?
Little for me to communicate. You heard
that John Tantish, orderly for Gen. Howard,
had escaped. He tore up an old tent which
had been carelessly left within his reach, and
made rope of it, by which he let himself down
in the night from the third story of a.brick
building. He had buffalo robe and the
clothes he wore. He went doubtless to the
rebels or to Canada. His father and family
live in Skowhegan, Me-, but came originally
from Canada and Tantish could speak Canadi.
an French. He is % years of age, bright and
active. able to read and write, and would
probably elude the officers of justice, even
should they make an effort to take him. Pos.
sibly freedom, desttution, and bad prece.
dent, will not be followed by renewed crimes
But few are thus hopeful.
GEN. HowARD's DIVISION.
You have seen that Gen. German has had
"Sedgwick's Division in Gen. Howard's alb.
sence, who had not arrived when the Division
started from Harper's Ferry. The 10th Maine
is attached to Germans Brigade of this Div.
sion. Col. Sewall has been away on sick.
leave for two or three weeks.