Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1862-06-24
crc,cr FROM THE BALL0ON.-Colonel

c,c,fr FROM THE BALLoON.-Colonel
\ 12! hoj}oon is stationed near Gaines Mills,
LOVE n 3rj, caftrc Of the Federal line within
on IN, .;ios # Richmond. The Colonel and his
SIX l':.'+n vcv seldom ascend, officers and 9th
. j So, ,r1h authority Tor the ASCENSION being
"a, ,n+ IN BY tvos and threes at time; and after
] S' ~, n,;;1,,.nS' stay. hauled down.
. Tbnn rEn balloon has assembled TO the end OF
.orLnr Grand view Of both armies is uItol
- '1 W;tbin !, circle Of two miles III radius
,f Eo y;o is Very perfect; beyond that the angle
. Tx ,.;s;n,, hecnmcs 50 nearly horizontal that
. u n,ol. houses. and hills materially interfere
. VIII, the view. The landscape has three mark
" occts ,2pon it. which are the first TO strike
. tbo eve The Chickahonliny, almost beneath
I nna feet borlered by its dark green sWamps,
>',ns ike a thread from where it rises on the
. 5ariqon avav off to the northwest to where it
1on1s with woods and hills in the southeast.
me James river in front, though distant, runs
= deem crooked valley, and hears Oh It's bosom
Ibandrois ct craft that. III the distance, look
Ike White specks upon the blue waters. Rich
'onl covering large portion Of the western
horizon is. however, the principal sight.
i anpears to tie balloonist as confused
medley of red, white and black, and heavy
hyovn Notifications stretching from the right
- The left, with thick walls and plentifully
!. .n;nE led with cannon, surround it on al sides
J'be (,aDitol Square can scarcely be discerned
1ang too tllicl5sy surrounded by buildings
The white Capitol however, is quite consplcu-
ans. and Of course, the Stars and Bars float
aver the roof. Three church spires, seeming
1 X all in one spot, are the brightest part of the
1owo. and catch the eye almost before the ob-
server is aware he is looking at nichmond.-
But little else, however, can be distinguished,
although. for a general view Of the town, moth
inc could be better than that from the balloon
. TIE space between the Chickahominy and the
Qualifications around Richmond IS almost filled
with Confederate camps. A thousand cavalry
J. horses were picketed in one field, and others
.vere beautifully sprinkled all about. Wedge
tents, used by the officers and little dog tents
.&by the l4en, shone in every direction AZ the
..suIl 5 RAYS struck them. Entertainments and
rifle pits lined the front Of their position;
Though very few guns were mounted. oeveral
guns f heavy callbre are splinkled along these
.earthworks Camps, however, are the most
prominent Of all the sights They show in
.eyev direction, and the southern and western
.horizon seems to be their only boundary.
. Right through the centre Of the picture
runs curved belt Of dark green and yellow,
about nile 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 pockets
hide from each other, but no military sign IS
go be en- uponit. Everywhere else. stretch
.10g as far as the eye can REACH are the thou
sand and one things incident to war; but TINS
broad. quiet deserted belt Of land, SO lonely: SO
.Sombre varying only as it is swamp, or 1leld, or
.stream, lies there 50 still that it almost III
#SSMres the beholder. Jupiter $ rings or Saturn
]. "elts never wore grander sight than tins belt
vl land on which nothing like tent or gun ap-
u pears.
. TALKING TO CHGLDREN. Superintcn-