The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-04-24
Cen. Porter I'm a BALLOON.

The exciting event of the day has been
balloon reconnaissance by Gen. Fitz John
Porter On scale of rather larger magni-
tude than was intended. At 5 o'clock in
the morning-11th inst-Gen. Fitz John
Porter took his place in Professor loves
ballon, before the entrenchments at York
town, Va. He supposed the usual num-
Der of ropes were attached to it, whereas
there was only one, and a place in this
as was afterwards ascertained, had been
burned by vitriol, used in generating gas.
Taking his seat in the car: unaccompanied
by any one, the rope was left out to near
ly its full length-the length is about nine
hundred yards-when suddenly snap went
the cord and up went the balloon. This
was an unexpected part of the program me-
The men below looked up in astonishment,
and the Gen. looked down with equal be-
wilderment.
"Open the valve" shouted one of the
men below.
"Fll manage it." responded the Gener-
al.
Up went the balloon higher, higher
1t rose with great rapidity its huge form
lessened as it wildly mounted into the re-
gions of the upper air it became a speck
in the sky. The wind was taking it in
the enemy's territory. By this time every
staff officer and hundreds of others were
looking at the moving speck. 1t is i'm
possible to describe the anxiety felt and
expressed for the fate of him, the central
OBJECT of thought, in that far away moving
speck, every moment becoming less Wis
I 10 10 10
the countenances of our men brighten
with hope. 1t passes over our heads
Soon it begins to descend, but with
pidity that arcuses renewed apprehensions.
Quickly squad of cavalry, led by Cap
tain Locke, Lieutenant M'Quade, of the
Generals staff, plunge spurs into their
horses and dash away In the direction of
the descending balloon. The rest of the
story is as, l received it from the Gener-
ais own lips. While the rope was being
let out he had his glass in readiness for
his proposed view of the enemy's terrific
ry. A sudden bound of the balloon told
him in a moment that the rope had given
way He dropped his glass, heard the
call, 'Open the valve" made the response
given above, and set about looking for
the valve. He was sensible of being
Eighty (the General loves pun as well
AS the next one,) but was not at all ner-
vous. He saw the wind had taken him
over the line of rebel intrenchments.-
Having no wish to drop in among them
he let the valve take care of itself, and
proceeded to take advantage of his posi-
ton to note the aspect of rebel objects
below. Crowds of soldiers rushed from
the woods, and he heard their shouts dis
tinctly. Luckily he was above the reach
of their bullets; SO he was not afraid ON
this score.
The map of the country was distinctly
discernable He saw Y yorktown and its
works, York river and its windings, and
Norfolk and its smoking chimneys. A
counter current of air struck the balloon,
and its course was reversed. Its retreat
from over rebeldom was rapid. He open
ed the valve, the gas escaped, and down
he came. He could not say how fast he
came down, but it was with rapidity he
would not care to have repeated. The
car struck the top of shelter tent-un-
der which, luckily, no one happened to be
at the time-knocked the tent into pi,
and left him enveloped in a mass of col
lapsed oil silk. He crawled out and found
himself in the middle of camp, not one
hundred rods from Gen. M'Clellan's head
quarters.