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A Sight From The Balloon

A Sight From The Balloon image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
July
Year
1862
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Oolonel Lowe's balwon yusterday was stationed near Guiños' Mills on ttm right centro oí the Uuion line, and withiD six miles oí Richrnoiid. lt wan in the air the whole diy, and in the fetv hours it ascended, some thirty or iorty army ofnoers observed the position of the enemy's tronps lrom the til'titüd point of view it afforded. The hallnon is held to the ground by a btrong cord a thousand feet in length, and of courso ascends to that distance abovo the eaitb. A pulleyftnd tackle arrangement, worked by men below, is tho power usod to pull it down, and, being strongly faatened to tha earth, there is but very littlo danger of tha tnachine's escape. Tlie Culonel and J-iis assistants very seldom ancund, officeráSiBctothtjra, with nuthority for tho asaencion, being sent up by twos and threes at a time, and, after a few minutes' stay, hauled down. When the balloon has ascended at this point to tho end of its tether, a grand view of both armies 13 unfo.ded. Withio a circle of two miles u radiua the sight is very perfect; beyond thiit the angle of visión becomes so nearly horizontal that woodi, houses, and hill.s, materially interfere with the view. - Th o landscape has three raarked objects upoa it, whioh are the first to strike the eyc. ïhe Chiekahominy, almost beneath one's feet, bordered by its dark-green awanips, runs like 11 thread from whcro it rises on the horizon, away off to the northwest, to where it blenda with woods and bilis in the southeust. The James River in lront. though distan t, runs in a deep, crooked valley, and bears on lts bosom hundrvda óforafts that, in thedistance, look like white specks upon the blue waters. líichmond, covoring a large portion of the western horizon, is, however tlie principal sight. lt appears to the balloomst as u confused medley ol red, white and black, and heavy browu fortifications stretching f rom the right to the left, with thick walls plentitully sprinkled with cannon, surrounding it on all sides. The Capitol Square can scarcely be discerned, being too thickly surrounded by buildings. The whole Capitol, however, is quite conspicuous, and, oí course, the btars and Bara float over the roof. Three church spires, seemingly all in one spot, are the brightest part of the tovvn, and catch the eye almost before the observer is aware he is looking at lïichmond. But little else, however, can be distinguished, although, for a general view ot the town, no hing can be betterthan that irojn the balloon. The space between the Chiekahominv and the fortifications around iiichmond is almost filled with rebel cainps. A thousand cavalry horaes were picketed in one field, and others were plentifully sprinkled all about. Wedge tents, used by the offieors, and littlo dog tents bythe men, shone in every direction aa the sun's rays struck tnem. Intrenchments and rifla-pits lined the front of their position, though very few guns were niounted. Severa! guns of heavy calibre are sprinkled along these earthworks. Eebel catnps, however, are the most prominent of' uil the sights. They show in every direction, and the southern and western horizon seems to be their only boundary. Ofour own position, as seen from the ball ion, I must be silent. Une Ibing, however, ia the whole view is most remarkable. Eight through the centre of the picture runs n curved bolt oí dark green and vollow about a milo wide. Not a man, gun, tent, or wagon, appears upon it. It ia the line bötween the two armies. Over it onnnon balls are thrown, and on lts surface scouts and pickets ida froni each other, but no military sign is to be seen upon it. Evurywhere else, stretching as far as the eyo c;in reach, are the thousand and one things incident to war ; but thia broad, quiet, deserted bolt ot land, so lonely, so sombro, varying only as it is swamp or field, or streani, lies thero 80 still tliat it ulrnost inspires tho baholdor. Jupiter's rings r Saturn's belts bever wore a grander ght than tina belt of land on whioh othing like tent or gun appoars.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus