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

PRESIDENT Lincoln was mucn Interested
in tho account of perilous balloon as
cension by Gen. Fitz John Porter on the
11th 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 frma.
He supposed that the usual number Of
ropes were attached TO it, whereas there
was only one, and place in this, it was
afterward ascertained, had been burned
by vitrol, used in generating the gas.
Taking his seat in the car, unaccompanied
by anyone, therope was let out to nearly
its full length-the length was about 500
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.
"Open the valve" shouted one of the
men below.
"I'll manage it,,' responded the Gener-
al.
Up went the balloon, higher, higher.
1t rose with great rapidity. Its huge form
lessened as it mounted into the regions OF
the upper air. 1t became speck in the
sky. The wind was taking it in the di-
rection of the enemy's territory. By this
time every staff officer and hundreds of
others were looking at the moving speck.
It is impossible TO describe the anxiety
felt and expressed for him, the central
object OF thought in the far away moving
speck, 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.
Quickly 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 Generals own lips. While the
rope WAS being played out he adjusted
his glass in readiness for his proposed
view of the enemy's territory. A sudden
bound Of the balloon told him in mo.
ment that the rope had given way. He
dropped the glass, heard the call, "open
the valve" made the response given above,
and set about looking for the valve. He
vas sensible of being aighty, (the Gen.
eral loves pun as we'll as the next one,
but was not at all nervous. He saw the
wind had taken him over the line of
rebel entrenchments. Having no wish
to drop in among them, he 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.
" he was above the reach of their bull
let's, 80 be was not afraid on this score.
The map of the country was distinctly
discernible. He saw Yorktown and its
works, York River aud its windings, and
Norfolk and its smoky 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 be
would not care to have repeated. The
car struck the top of ashelter tent, under
which, luckily, no one happened to be at
the time, knocked the tent into pi, and
left him enveloped in mass of collapsed
oil silk. He crawled out and found him
self in the middle of camp, not 100
yards from Gen. McClellan's headquar-
tprq