The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-12-10
rrTz JOHN PORTER.
How He Made an Ascension DurinR ths
Wnr and How He Came Down.


From Ben Perley Poore in the Boston
budget President Lincoln was much in.
terested in the account of perilous balloon
ascension by General Fitz John Porter on
the 18th of April, 1862, near Yorktown, Va.
About i've o'clock in the morning he stepped
into the car of Professor loves balloon to
go up and make Reconnaissance, then to
be pulled back to terra firma. He supposed
that the usual number of ropes were attach.
ed to it, whereas there was only one, and
place in this, it was afterward ascertained.
bad been burned by yitriol rssd in general.
ing the gas. Taking his seat in the car.
unaccompanied by any one, the rope was
let out TO nearly its full length--the length
was about 800 yards--when suddenly snap
went the cord and up went the balloon. This
vas an unexpected part of the programme
The men below looked up with astonish.
nent, and the General looked down with
equal bewilderment
Open the valve" shouted one of The
men below
I'll manage it," responded tho Gener-
al.
Up went the balloon, higher, higher. II
rose with great rapidity. Its huge form les-
sened as it mounted into the regions of the
upper air. II became speck in the
sky The wind was taking it in the direction
OF the enemys territory. By this time every
staff officer and hundreds of others were
looking at the moving speck. 1t Is impos.
sibie to describe the anxiety felt and express
ed for the fate of him, the central object of
thought, in that far-away moving speck,
every moment becoming less visible,
IL seemed to move toward the Union
army, and the countenances then
frightened with hope. 1t passed over the
heads Of the Union men. Soon It began to
descend, but with a rapidity that aroused
renewed apprehension. Quickly q squad
OF cavalry plunged spurs into their horses
and dashed away in the direction of the de.
scending balloon.
Inc rest OF the story is as received from
the Generals own lips. While the rope was
being played out he adjusted his glass in
readiness for his proposed view of the enc.
my's territory. A sudden bound Of the bal.
loon told him in smoment that the rope
had given way. ">He dropped the glass,
heard the call. "Open the yalye,n made
the response given above, and set about
looking for the valve. He was sensible OF
being Tightly (the. General loves pun as
well as the next one), but was not at all
nervous. He saw the wind had taken him
over the line of rebel intrenchments HAY.
ing no wish to drop in among them, he let
the valve take care of itself, aud proceeded
to take advantage of his position to note the
aspect of rebel objects below. Crowds of
soldiers rushed from the woods, and he
heard shouts distinctly. Luckily he was
above tho reach of their bullets, so he was
not afraid ON this score.
The map of the country was distinctly
discerrible. He saw Yorktown and its
works, York rivor and its windings, and
Norfolk and its smoky chimneys. A counter
current of air struck the balloon and ita
course was reversed. Its retreat from over
rebeldom was rapid. He opened 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 q
shelter tent, under which, luckily, no one
happened to be at the time, knocked the
tent into pi, and left him enveloped in q
mass of collapsed oil six. He crawled out
and found himself in the middle of q camp,
not 100 yards from General McClellani
headquarters. ''f