The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-15
How Fitg John Porter Made ON Ascens
sion During the War.

President Lincoln was much interested
IN tho account Of q perilous balloon as.
cension by Gen. Fitz John Porter on the
llth of April, 1862, near Yorktown, Va.
About 5 o'clock in the morning he
stepped into the car of Prof. loves bal.
loon to go up and make reconnaissance,
then to be pulled back to terra firma.
He supposed that the usua, number of
ropes were attached 10 it, whereas there
was only one, and place in this, it was
atterward ascertained, had been burned
by vitriol, used in generating the gas.
Taking his seat in the car, unaccompanied
by anyone, 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 was
an unexpected part of the programme.
The men below looked up with astonish.
ment, and the General looked down with
equal bewilderment.
"OpeD the valve" shouted one of the
men below.
"I'll manage it, responded the Gener.
Up went the balloon, higher, higher.
It rose with great rapidity. It's huge form
lcssened as it mounted into tho regions of
the upper air. 1t became speck in the
sky. The wind was taking it in the Ill.
rection of the enemy's territory. BY this
time every staff officer and hundreds of
others were looking at the moving apeck.
1t is impossible TO describe the anxiety
felt aud expressed for him, the central
object Of thought in the far away moving
eneck, every moment becoming less visi
BILE. 1t seemed to move toward the
Union army, and the countenances there
frightened with hope. 1t passed over
the heads of the Union men. Soon it
began to descend. but with rapidity
that aroused renewed apprehension.
Qn;ckly squad of cavalry plunged spurs
into their horses and dashed away in the
direction of the descending balloon.
The rest of the story Is as received
from the General's own lips. While the
rope was being played out be adjusted
his glass 10 readiness for his proposed
view of the enemy's territory. Asudden
bound Of the balloon told him in mo.
meat Il sha F1Es had gives veg. He
dropped the 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, tthe Gen
yral loves pun as we'll as the next one,
lat was not at all nervous. He saw the
aind had taken him over the line of
rebel ,entrenchments. Having no wish
to drop in among them, ho let the valve
take care of ITSELF and 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 their shouts distinctly. Lucki.
ly he uas above the reach Of their bull.
lets, go be Was not afraid on this acore.
The map of the country was distinctly
discernible. He saw Yorktown and its
uorks, York River aud its wiudings, and
Nt,folk and its smoky chinineys. A
counter current of air struck the balloon,
aud It's courre was reversed. It's retreat
from over tebeldom was rapid. He open.
ed the valve, the gas escaped, aud down
he came. He could not soy how fast he
came down. but 1t was with o rapidity he
would not care to have repeated. The
car str,ick the top of shelter tent, under
which, luckily, no one happened to be at
tho tune, knocked the tent into pi, and
left him eDveloped 10 mass Of collapsed
oil silk. He crawled out and found him.
self in the middle of q camp, not 100
yards from Gen. McClellan's headquar-
ters. Z; f