History buffs revel in Civil War Days
August 12, 2012 at 3:51 pm in Worthington Daily Globe
PIPESTONE Stephanie Hall has never taken a ride in a hot-air balloon, though she hopes to someday. Continue Reading
History buffs revel in Civil War Days
3 Comments
Your article provides a nice introduction to Aeronautics during the Civil War, but I need to share the following to fine tune what you’ve shared.
Of the balloons used by both the North and South only the first balloon used by the Confederates used heated air to go aloft.
It is very easy and common for those not familiar with lighter than air flight to confuse the modern ‘hot air’ balloon (developed in 1960) with the ‘gas’ balloons that used city / coal gas or hydrogen to give them lift.
Also, Lowe invented the portable hydrogen generators and had the Navy Yard convert the coal barge “George Washington Parke Custis” – the first aircraft carrier in 1861, not 1862.
Those interested in learning more about ballooning during the Civil War can go to your local library and read:
THE book on CW ballooning is F. Stansbury Haydon’s “Military Ballooning During the Early Civil War”, 1941 & 2000. It is very technical and with 282 footnotes in the 38 pages of chapter 1, is used to teach Military Historians how to document their research.
Dr. Tom Crouch, Senior Curator of Aeronautics for the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum discusses CW Ballooning in his book “The Eagle Aloft – Two Centuries of Ballooning in America.” 1983, Smithsonian Institute Press.
The easiest read is “The War of the Aeronauts”, 2002, by Charles Evans
He also has a seven part YouTube video series that covers the information in his book.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=war+of+the+aeronauts&aq=f
If you can find a copy, there is one 48 page pamphlet written by Joseph Jenkins Cornish III in 1963 entitled “The Air Arm Of The Confederacy”
The most recent book written is Gail Jarrow’s “Lincoln’s Flying Spies”, 2010. It’s 93 pages covers basic information and includes lots of pictures.
NO CIVIL WAR BALLOON LIBRARY would be complete without “Above The Civil War” by Eugene Block, 1966
Stephen Poleskie wrote “The Balloonist – The Story of T.S.C. Lowe – Inventor, Scientist, Magician, And Father Of The US Air Force”, 2007
For the truly dedicated reader Michael Jaeger and Carol Lauritzen edited and shared in 2004, “The Memoirs of Thaddeus S.C. Lowe, Chief of the Aeronautic Corps of the Army of the United States During the Civil War – My Balloons in Peace And War”
FOR THE YOUNGER READERS I’D RECOMMEND:
Mary Hoehling’s: “Thaddeus Lowe, America’s One Man Air Corps”, 1958
Lydel Sims’: Thaddeus Lowe – Uncle Sam’s First Airman”, 1964
Burke Davis’: “Runaway Balloon – The Last Flight of Confederate Air Force One”
For those interested in fictional story telling that includes Civil War Balloons:
Joan Russell Piccard wrote “Adventures On The Wind”
Kris Jackson wrote “Above the Fray Part I & Part II”
Robert E. Alter wrote “High Spy”
Ann Rinaldi wrote “The Last Silk Dress”
Blue Skies and Soft Landings to all,
Kevin Knapp / Thaddeus Lowe, Aeronaut
Civil War Balloon Corps Living History
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Thanks, Kevin. I learned something today!
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My wife and I went to the Civil War Days on saturday, very interesting talking to some of the reenactment soldiers to hear on far they drive for this and to see how much enjoyment they get out of it, I will try and make it there again in two years, well worth the money to see this.
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