The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1862-07-04
A SIGHT FROM A BALLOON.


center of the Union line, and within six
miles of Richmond. 1t WAS in the air the
whole da, and in the few hours it ascended,
some thirty or forty army officers observed
the position of the enemy's troops from the
elevated point of view it afforded. 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 ana tackle arrangement, worked by
men below, is the power used to pull it
down, and, teing strongly fastened to- the
earth, there is but very little danger of the
machines escape. The Colonel and his
assistants very seldom ascend, officers and
Others, with authority for the ascension,
being sent up by twos and threes at a time,
and, after a few minutes stay, hauled down.
When the balloon has ascended at this
point to the end of its tether, grand view
of both armies is unfolded. Within circle
Of two miles in radius the sight is very per-
feet; beyond that the angle of vision be-
comes SO nearly horizontal that woods,
houses, and hills, materially interfere with
the view. The landscape has three marked
objects upon it, which are the first to strike
the eye. Chickahominy, almost beneath
ones feet, bordered by its dark green
swamps, runs like thread from where it
rises ON the horizon, away off to the north
west, to where it blends with words and
hills in the south east. Tho j ,mes River
in front, though distant, runs in deep
crooked valley, and bears on its bosom hun
dred of craft tllat, in the distance, look like
white speeks upon the blue waters.
Richmond, covering a large portion of
the western horizon, is, howe, err the princi-
pal sight. 1t appears to the balloonist as
a confused medley Of red, white, and black,
and heavy brown Notifications stretching
from the right to the left with thick walls
pientifully sprnkled with cannon, surround
ing it on al sides. The Capitol Square can
scarcely be discerned, being too thickly
surrounded by buildings, The white Cap
itol, however, is quite conspicuous, 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
observeris is aware he is looking at Richmond.
But little else, however, Can be distinguish
ed, although, for a general view of the
town, nothing could be better than that
from the balloon.
The space between the Chickahominy
and the Notifications around Richmond is
almost filled with Rebel camps. A thou
sand Cavalry horses were picketed in one
field, and others were plentifully sprinked
all about. Wedge tents, used by the ctfi
GERS, and little dog tents by the men, shone
in every direction as the suns rays struck
them. Intrenchments ana rifle pits lined
the front of their position, though very few
guns were mounted. Several guns of heavy
caliber are sprinkled along these earth
works. Rebel camps, however, are the
most prominent of all the sights. They
show in every direction, and the southern
and western horizon seetl,s to be their only
boundary.
Of our own position, as seen fom the
balloon, | must be silent One thing,
however, in the whole view is most remark
able. Right through the center of the pic
ture runs curved belt of dark green and
yellow about mile wide. Not a man,
gun, tent, or wagon, appears upon it. Its
the line between tile two armies. Over it
cannon balls are thrown, and on its sur
face 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 incident to war; but this broad, qui
ct, deserted belt of land, SO lonely, so SOM
Der, varying only as it is swamp or field, or
stream, lies there so still that it almost in
spires the behoder. Jupiters rings or Sat
urn's belts neser wore a grauder sight than
this belt of land on hich nothing like
tent or gun appears.