Balloon Corps in the Civil War Essay Example
The Union army's balloon corps were engaged in many battles such as the First Battle of Bull Run, the Civil War, the Battle of Seven Pines, and many more. The Union Army originally brought the balloon corps to their side so they were able to observe Confederate positions and support Unionartillery fire while remaining out of range of enemy fire. This balloon had many important things that helped the Union Army out. It gave them many advantages knowing how to work the balloon over the confederate army. Balloon corps were used for many things during the civil war such as changing warfare, and the change in transportation. Thaddeus Lowe's intentions when bringing the balloon corps to the Union army.
The balloon corps made many changes to our warfare. The balloons conducted and helped with sightings around the area. With an ability to soar thousands of feet above a landscape, balloons gave military leaders a platform that allows them to see for miles around a decided advantage. “On April 19, 1861, just as the drums of war had begun to sound in Washington, Thaddeus Lowe launched his small, businesslike balloon the Enterprise from a vacant lot in the heart of Cincinnati”(Holmes 1). Lowes goal was to fly the balloon 500 miles to the east and over the Allegheny Mountains where his goal was to land in Washington. But it had other plans. The balloon had floated much farther south then planned and flew over Kentucky and Tennessee which had caused it to finally landed 650 miles near Unionville, South Carolina. The Union Guns were then fired accurately on the enemy positions without them actually being able to see them. This was the first time in warfare history in which the Union could do damage which could be delivered from a distant enemy which was hard to see. “For the rest of 1862, it was Lowe’s Union Balloon Corps that operated exclusively during the Virginia phase of the Civil War”(Holmes 8).
Lowe had many intentions when bringing the balloon corps to warfare. Lowe started to create the balloon in Washington DC where he showed Abraham Lincoln what the balloon could do to change the military. They made no significant changes contributing to the seven days battles. “His original goal, in the years just prior to the Civil War, was to pilot a balloon across the Atlantic from the United States to Britain” (thoughtco). This being said his balloons later became a fascinating thing during the early years of the war. It had many good things to come with it and helped out the union army. Although the confederate army couldn't quite figure out how to use it, they still knew what to look out for.
They also used these balloons to help them get places cars couldn't. Aeronautics used their balloons in free flights which helped with many tests. Free flights were shown to be difficult in different wind variationsThey guided their balloons upward by emptying 100 lbs sandbags carried as ballast, and they descended by venting hydrogen from the envelope. “Despite aeronauts’ ability to observe Confederate positions and support Unionartillery fire, a decisive operation upon which to hang the Balloon Corps’s reputation…led to the dissolution of the Balloon Corps in May 1863”(Gould 12). With this being said balloon corps were a great way of transportation but didn’t always work in all situations.
Overall the lingering effects of the balloon corps and its idea is still with us to this day. Today we symbolize a hot air balloon as a balloon corps. The balloon corps was used for many things and had many more importance in wars. The balloon also came with many advantages over the other side if you knew how to use it. The union army had figured out how to use the balloon corps and used it for not only changing warfare but as well as using it to get places and have height over the other side. Not only that but Thaddeus Lowe’s intentions also changed when bringing the balloon corps to the Union army’s side.
