The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-09
From the ARMY of the Potomac.

Col. Elliot, of Brunswick, one of Governor
Washburns aids, who has been on the PENN
sula, looking after our Maine troops. arrived
in this city yesterday morning. He left Har-
rison's Landing last Thursday evening. and
gave us an interesting account of the situation
of the Army of the Potomac. He SAYS that
there is no truth in the stories of Federal de-
feat, which SO startled our people last week.
Mcclellan has changed his front, and his right,
which formerly rested at Mechanicsville, has
been swung around, and has now become his
left He heard Gen. Mcclellan say that they
had had a six days BATTLE and had beaten the
enemy every time, notwithstanding their num-
bers. The last battle-Tuesdaye ve-he repre-
sented as terrific. The rebel forces were liter
ally slaughtered by thousands, and were driv-
en- back mile and half over fields literally
piled with their dead
The Maine regiments, he informs us, came
out of the battles with comparatively small
loss, although they were always in the thick
est of the fight The Maine troops have won
the reputation of being among the very best
troops in the army. Their Spartan bravery
and heroic endurance have become proverbial.
military gentleman, with whom Col E. con-
versed, remarked upon the Maine troops. Said
he, Your troops are the wonder Of the army
They will knock a burr out of SQUIRRELS
teeth as far as they can see him they are per-
fectly cool when under fire, and are perfect
devils in charge; at the same time, their DOW
er of endurance on fatigue duty is truly won
derful." If forlorn hope is to be sent on per-
ilous duty, the gallant sons of the Pine Tree
State are in the van: if the rear is to be des-
perately defended against overwhelming odds.
there the stalwart Maine boys are sure to be
sent: and If tract of forest is to he felled and
Notifications are to be built, the axes of the
Maine lumbermen are heard.
In fact. the way our down casters have of
doing their work is perfectly surprising to the
Pennsylvanians, and other westeen troops
Is a forest to be feled? our boys "undercut"
several acres and then, at last start the drive
and hundreds of trees are crushed down. while
the shouts of the sturdy axemen make all ring
again.
Maine has reason to be proud of her gallant
troops, now in the field. Some of our reci-
ments are fearfully reduced, by sickness and
losses. The 11th has but 200 fighting men.
and was the last regiment to come in 1t was
in the extreme rear.
Col Z. says that it is remarkable. that in no
single instance during the whole of the weeks
fighting, did the enemy stand before bayonet
charge. They invariably "skedaddled" before
our troops could hardly get within 10 rods of
them.
We Cleaned of the Colonel. also. some inter
esting facts in relation to the naval operations
on James River. He informs us, that lust be-
low Fort Darling. and within range of its guns
the enemy have driven three rows of piles en-
tirely across the riyer-and above these the
channel of the river is INSTRUCTED by the sink
ing Of old hulks, old locomotives, &C., so that
if the guns of Fort Darling were to be silenced
ii would take some time to remove these OBJ
structions, so that the feet could go up to
Richmond.
The army is in good spirits; reinforcements
are constantly arriving. and we may hope ere
long to hear of important movements, Of the
character of which it is not now prudent to
speak.