The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-06-28
A Sight from the Balloon.

Col. loves balloon, yesterday, was station
ed near Gaines Mills, on the right centre of
the federal line, and within six miles of Rich
mond 1t was in the air during the whole day.
and in the few hours it assembled; some thirty
or forty army officers observed the position of
the eneny's troops from the elevated point of
view it afoaded. The balloon is held TO the
ground by strong cord thousand feet in
length, and OF course ascends to that distance
above the earth. A pulley and tackle arrange
ment, worked by men below, is the power used
10 pull it down, and, being strongly fastened
to the earth, there is but very little danger OF
the machines escape. The colonel and his as
sistants very seldom ascend, officera and 9TH
ers, with authority for the ascen lion. being
sent up by twos and threes at a time, and af1
ter few minutes stay, hauled down.
When the balloon has assembled at this point
to the end Of the tether, a grand view of both
armies is unfolded Within circle Of two
miles in radius the sight is very perfect: be-
yond that the angle of vision becomes so near
~ horizontal that woods, houses and hills ma
terially interiors with the view. The land
scape has three marked objects upon it, which
are the first to strike the eye. The Chicka-
hominy, almost beneath ones feet, bordered
by its dark green swamps, runs like a thread
from where it rizes on the horizon, away off to
the northwest, to where it blends with woods
and hills In the southwest. The James river
in front, though distant, runs in deep. crook
ed valley, and bears ON its bosom hundreds of
craft that, in the distance, look like white
specks upon the blue water. Richmond. COW
ering large portion of the western horizon,
is, however the principal sight. 1t appears to
the balloonist as confused medley of red.
white, and black, and heavy brown fortifica-
tions stretching from the right TO the left. with
thick walls and plentifully sprinkled with can
non, surround it on all sides. The Capitol
L.. ~
thickly surrounded by buildings
The white capitol, however, is quite conspic-
nous, and, of course, the stars and bars float
over the roof Three church spires. seemingly
all in one spot, are the brightest part of the
town, and catch the eye almost before the OBJ
server is aware he is looking at Richmond.
But little else, however, can be distinguished,
although, for general view Of the town. no.
thing could be better than that from the bal
loon. The space between the Chickahominy
and the Notifications around Richmond is al
most filled with rebel camps. A thousand cav
airy horses were picketed in one field and 9th
ers were plentfully sprinkled all about Wedge
tents, used by the officers, and little dog tents
BY the men, shone in every direction as the
suns rays struck them. Entertainments and
rifle pits lined the front of their position, al
though very few guns were mounted. Several
guns of heavy ealibre are sprinkled along these
earthworks. Rebel camps, however, are the
most prominent of all the sights They show
in every direction, and the southern and west
ern horizon seems TO be their only boundary.
or our own pts>s:uian, as seen from the bal
loon, must be 'ient. One thing, however, in
the whole view is most remarkable. Right
through the centre Of the picture runs a curved
belt Of dark green and yellow about a mile
wide. Not man, gun, tent or wagon appears
upon it 1t is the line between the two armies.
Over it cannon balls are thrown, and on its
surface scouts and pickets hide from each 9TH
er, but no military sign is to be seen upon it,
Everywhere else, stretching as far as the eye
can reach, are the thousand and one things in
cident 10 war; but this broad, quiet, deserted
belt of land, so lonely, SO sombre, varying only
as It is swamp, or field, or stream, lies there so
still that it almost inspires the beholder. Ju-
pliers rings or Saturn's belts never wore a
grander sight than this belt of land on which
nothing like tent or gun appears.-[Cor. Phil
ddelphia Press.