New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-06-24
A SIGHT FRou Tile BALLOON.

Col. loves balloon yesterday was stationed near
Camera Mills, the right center OF the Union liOe,
aud within BIZ miles Of Richmond II was In the
an the whole day, and III the few hours II ascended
some thirty or forty army officers observed the posi
ton of the en,mys troops from the elevated point
Of view i, afforded. The balloon Is held 10 the
ground BY a strong cord thousand feet In length.
and Of course ascends 20 that distance above the
earth. A pulley aud tackle arrangement, worked
by men below is the power used 10 pull u down,
and being strongly fastened to the earth, there il
but very little danger II the machines escape Tie
Colonel aud bis assistants very seldom sscond, Of
fcors ard others, with authority for the ascension
being sent up BY twos aui throes at n tme and, af-
ter a few minutes stav, hauled down.
When the balloon has ascended al this point 20
the end Of il iether "A grand view OF both armies
il unfoldod. Within circle Of two miles in radius
the sight IL veiy perfect beyond that tie angle Of
vision becomes 70 nearly horizontal that wOodf,
houses, aud bills, materially interfere with the
view. Tie landscape has three marked objects upon
IT, which are the fret 10 strike the eye. The Click
ahominy almost beneath oues feet, bOrdered by its
daIk-gTeen swsmps, runs like thread from where
il rises the horizon, away oil 70 the northwest,
to where 1t blends with woods and hills In The
south-east. The james River in front, though dis
taut ruue IN Il deep, crooked valley, and bears on
its bosom hundreds Of craft that ia the Distance,
look like white specks upon the blue waters.
Richmond, covering large portion Of the west.
ern horizon, H. however, the principal sight. 1t
appears 10 the lallooni5t 40 confused medley 81 red
white, and black, and heavy brown Notifications
stretching from the tight to the left, with thick walls
rlentifuliy slIiukled with cannon, surrounding IL
on MI fidee. Ine Capitol Square can scarcely be
discerned being too thickly surrounded by buildings
The white Capitol, however, is quite conspicuous
and Of course the stars ind bars float the roof
Three church epIfes, seemingly all in SPOT are
the brightest part Of tie town, and catch the eye
almost before the observer il he il looking az
Hi hmond. But little else, however, can be DE-
ltinguished, although, for. general Wow Of the
town, nothing could be better than that FROM the
balloon.
The space between the Chickahominy and the for
tifcatons around Richmond il almost filed with
Rebel camps a thousand Cavalry horses were
picketed IN one field, and others were plentfuly
sprinkled all about. Wedge tents, used by the Off
cers and little dog tents by the men, shone in every
direction az the suns rays struck them. Intrench
ments and pits lined the front of their position
though very few guns were mounted. Several guns
Of heavy cahbert are spTinkled along these earth.
works. Rebel camps, however, are the most prom
inent OF all the sights They chow in every direc-
ton and the southern aud western horizon seems TO
be their only boundary.
OF our own position, as seen from the balloon, |
Dust be SILENT One thing. however, in the whole
Wow 10 most remarkable. Right through the center
oil the picture cured belt Of dark green ana
yellow about O mile wide. Not man, gun, tent,
or wagon, appears upon il. IL is the line between
the two arInifs. Over 1t cannon balls are thrown,
and on its surface scouts ana pekois hide from each
other but no military sign is TO be seen upon II.
Everywhere else, stretching as far as the eye con
reach, are the thousand aud one things incident TO
war but this broad, quiet deserted belt Of land, 30
lonely, 30 eomber, varying only as it is swamp or
field or stream es there 80 still tina, it almost in.
spires the beholder. Jupiters rings OF Saturn 8
belts never wore grander sight than this belt OF
land on which nothir like tent or gun appears.
before Richmond Cor. Phila. fress