The Intrepid Takes to the Air!

As you approach South Field, the home of the Intrepid, you round a row of trees to see the reconstructed Civil War balloon standing tall, ready to take flight.

 

As was the case during the War, General George McClellan watches over the field from the side of the Intrepid.

The Intrepid goes aloft with Balloonist Chris Lynn.

The Intrepid Arrives!

A Macy's Miracle, Says Museum CEO; Civil War Balloon to Take Flight with Last-Minute Helium Donation

Public Excursions on the Intrepid to Begin July 4 at Genesee Country Village & Museum

 MUMFORD, N.Y., June 18 — When the CEO of the Genesee Country Village & Museum (GCV&M; www.gcv.org) set out last year to build and fly the world's first replica of a Civil War manned balloon – the Intrepid – little did he know his dream could collapse from a nationwide helium shortage. But he also didn't bargain that one of the country's most iconic retailers would step forward to deliver a miracle at the last minute, literally raising the project off the ground.

 Thanks to the generous support of Macy's – a brand synonymous with the giant helium-filled balloons that grace Manhattan's skies every Thanksgiving morning – the Intrepid will begin flying this July 4 outside of Rochester, N.Y. Weather permitting, the balloon will take guests 300 feet (32 stories) into the sky, simulating what some of the world’s first military pilots (a.k.a. aeronauts) experienced 150 years ago.

"We were looking for a miracle. The Museum was seemingly out of options to secure helium after having placed innumerable calls to dealers, government officials and even decommissioned research laboratories across the U.S.," said Peter Arnold, GCV&M's CEO and president. "Then we heard from Macy's, which was able to donate the 50,000 cubic feet we needed. We’re simply ecstatic, as we were within days of having to suspend our opening. 'The Magic of Macy's' has never been more real."

First announced this past February, the Intrepid project has captured the imagination of families, educators, historians and aviation enthusiasts across North America. Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and adventure balloonist and Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson have both praised the historic reconstruction.

"Supporting education is an important aspect of our community giving, made even more relevant in this case since Macy’s was founded during the Civil War era,” said Russell Schutte, senior vice president / director of stores, Macy’s Midwest. “With our unique connection to helium ballooning, we had the opportunity to help Genesee Country Village & Museum fulfill its dream to open this one-of-a-kind, interactive exhibit. The result will benefit not only the people of Western New York, but visitors who will travel from across the U.S. and overseas to experience the wonder and history of flight.”

Featuring its signature giant helium character balloons, the 86^th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place on Thursday, November 22.

One side of the deflated Intrepid is hand-painted
by illustrator Todd Price in May 2012.

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Conceived by Professor Thaddeus Lowe, the Union Army Balloon Corps was personally approved by President Abraham Lincoln in June 1861. Not only was the Intrepid the predecessor to modern-day military aviation, but it also foreshadowed the future of military reconnaissance communications. The pilot would send intelligence information – troop movements, artillery compensation instructions, and more – to soldiers on the ground via telegraph.

Like the original seven gas balloons used by the Union Army during the Civil War, the Intrepid is tethered to land for optimal convenience and safety. Visitors – up to four at a time – will have the opportunity to take 15-minute flights for a nominal cost in addition to their museum entry fee.

A team of prominent advisors is assisting with the project, including Tom D. Crouch, Ph.D., senior curator of Aeronautics for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum; Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and Rob Shenk, director, Internet Strategy & Development, Civil War Trust.

For more information, visit www.gcv.org or follow the museum on Twitter at @GCVandM.

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More Images of the Intrepid's Amazing Artwork

 Artist, Todd Price at work.

Illustrator Todd Price Begins Painting Intrepid: World’s First Civil War Manned Balloon Replica Comes to Life

ELK CREEK, Va., May 25, 2012 — Tucked away in the far southwest corner of Virginia sits a former schoolhouse, its gymnasium transformed into a temporary home for one of the country’s most anticipated historic reconstructions. Illustrator Todd Price is on hands and knees, laboriously applying vinyl inks to his one-of-a-kind, large scale canvas – Intrepid, the world’s first and only Civil War manned balloon replica.

Intrepid is slated to begin flights over Western New York beginning July 4 at Genesee Country Village & Museum’s (GCV&M; www.gcv.org). When it takes to the air, Museum guests and residents across the region will be treated to a remarkable display of artistry.

Based on photos, drawings and notes depicting the original Intrepid, Mr. Price’s work is attempting to maintain historical accuracy. One side of the balloon shows an American Eagle with wings outstretched (25 feet from tip to tip) clutching an American flag, and holding in its beak a framed portrait of revered General George McClellan. The other side prominently displays the Intrepid moniker.

“To our knowledge, no one else has attempted to paint an image this large and complex on a balloon in modern times,” said Peter Arnold, president and CEO of GCV&M. “After looking at the number of challenges associated with this task, it becomes a bit easier to understand why.”

Following fabrication of the Intrepid’s shell envelope by AeroBalloon in Hingham, Mass., it was recently transported to Elk Creek, Va., where Mr. Price keeps his studio, ToddPriceArt. After carefully maneuvering the 45-by-70-foot, 1,500-pound balloon into the vacant school gymnasium, he set to work.

The artist describes his painstaking process. “I first made a transparency of my original illustration, projected it to full scale on pattern paper, and perforated the images. Finding the center lines of the balloon, I rolled the patterns out and transferred the images with a charcoal pounce bag through the holes. I then penciled the full size image onto the balloon.”

“After premixing vinyl inks – a warm, medium and cool for each element – I began painting from the center using fitches, working outward to avoid kneeling on the image. The inks dry very rapidly, altering my usual blending techniques, so I’m forced to work quickly and the colors have to be spot on.”

Adding to the complexity is the structure of the deflated balloon itself. A sphere, the balloon doesn't lie flat and the substrate doesn't stretch, requiring Mr. Price to paint over hills and valleys while maintaining the proper perspective.

Although today he teaches at the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in Galax, Va., Mr. Price is no stranger to large format painting. From 1986 to 1992, he lived in Rochester, N.Y., painting billboard pictorials across the region prior to the advent of vinyl wraps.

He maintains another connection to armed conflicts in our nation’s past, having designed the 3,600 square foot Blue Ridge Veterans Memorial, which is currently under construction.

Painting of the Intrepid is expected to be completed by early June, after which GCV&M will take delivery of the balloon. Construction of a companion Civil War encampment has begun, bringing an added dimension of realism to Museum guests.

 First announced this past February, the Intrepid project has captured the imagination of families, educators, historians and aviation enthusiasts across North America. In addition, renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and adventure balloonist and Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson have both praised the historic reconstruction.

A team of prominent advisors is assisting with the project, including Tom D. Crouch, Ph.D., senior curator of Aeronautics for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum; Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and Rob Shenk, director, Internet Strategy & Development, Civil War Trust.

 For more information and photos, visit www.gcv.org.

Intrepid Launch Date Uncertain Due to Helium Shortage

We’ve come up against an unusual problem in getting our Civil War replica gas balloon off the ground!  The increasing severity of the global helium shortage has put our planned launch of July 4 at risk.

This historic project, announced earlier in the year, has won the backing of Ken Burns, Sir Richard Branson, the Smithsonian and the Civil War Trust. It’s been called one of the most intriguing events planned during the War’s 150^th anniversary remembrance. When operating, the balloon will soar up to 300 feet above Western New York with a pilot and passengers. And now the project may literally have trouble getting off the ground on time, since the Museum is unable to find a helium supplier at any cost, anywhere in the U.S.

We’re going public with this challenge today, in hopes of finding a white knight. We’re trying to be resourceful, having been in contact with the Fermi National Lab in Illinois, which had used the gas for cooling its supercollider; and with members of Congress regarding tapping the U.S. reserve. We remain hopeful!

Meanwhile, balloon construction continues – it’s being painted by our muralist Todd Price in Southern Virginia  at the moment.

The Intrepid Comes to Life

The silk of the Intrepid is being painted!
Here we see the artist, Todd Price, carefully painting the silk of the Intrepid with the historically researched design.

 

Seeing the artist alongside the art gives us an idea of the scale of the balloon.

“That Infernal Balloon!” Part Two

Confederate forces did expend a significant amount of ammunition in trying to bring down the Union army’s balloons with cannon fire. However, other more clandestine methods were used to negate the advantage of aerial observations.

General P.G.T. Beauregard, in command of rebel troops in the area of Washington, D.C. from summer of 1861 to late winter of 1862 referred to the flying menaces as “damned infernal balloons,” and issued specific orders to counter their efforts. He ordered his men on several occasions to build extra fires at night—the balloonists would count camp fires in order to estimate Confederate troop numbers and this would exaggerate such determinations. At other times, rebel troops were ordered to build fewer fires or conceal their bivouacs in wooded areas, which would correspondingly fool the aerial observers into thinking there were fewer troops in the area. The commanding southern general also had his artillerymen camouflage their batteries from the air to conceal them from the aeronauts. Based on comparisons between Lowe’s observations and Confederate records, it appears that many of these deceptions were effective.

Other Confederate commanders had their men construct batteries of “Quaker guns.” These phony cannons were made from “various calibers of stovepipes,” and while some were identified correctly by Union observers, others seemed to have accomplished their task of misinformation. Specifically, balloon observers noted heavy guns in the rebel fortifications on Mason’s and Munson’s Hills outside of Washington. These were later reported to be Quaker guns.

The Confederates also employed their own balloons as a response to the northern aerostats. Beauregard ordered a balloon from a private supplier and though it did make one ascension, which was observed by Professor Lowe, it did not prove able to endure the hazards of army use. During the Peninsula campaign (Spring-Summer 1862), E.P. Alexander was given command of the Confederate balloon Gazelle. This balloon was also called the “silk dress balloon” because its envelope was constructed of a conglomeration of different bolts of silk fabric originally intended for making dresses. The Gazelle was used successfully during several engagements of the campaign, often drifting just across the battlefield from Professor Lowe and one of his balloons. In early July of 1862 the balloon was being towed on a barge that ran aground. Alexander and his crew were forced to evacuate. The Gazelle was captured by US ironclads Maratanza and the famed Monitor and cut into pieces which were given as souvenirs to various congressmen and even to Lowe himself.

During the Peninsula campaign, at least two Confederate spies were caught in attempts to sabotage Lowe’s balloons. After the war, a former rebel soldier wrote that he was another such spy. He claimed that after attempts to sneak snipers and small field artillery pieces close to Union lines to open fire on the balloons in the early morning had failed, his commanders had opted to send saboteurs behind Union lines. He, disguised as a civilian merchant, had gotten within inches of one of Lowe’s balloons and was in the process of getting out his pipe and a match (knowing very well that it would take but a small flame to ignite the hydrogen filling the envelope) before being accosted by a burly northern sergeant. He decided that discretion was the better part of valor and made his way eventually back to confederate lines, having failed in his task. No effort at sabotage ever saw success during the life of the aeronautics corps.

In reference to the effect the Union balloons had on Confederate actions and psyche, E.P. Alexander perhaps said it best, “We could never build another balloon, but my experience with this gave me a high idea of the possible efficiency of balloons in active campaigns. Especially did we find, too, that the balloons of the enemy forced upon us constant troublesome precautions in efforts to conceal our marches.”

“That Infernal Balloon!” - Part One

As Professor Thaddeus Lowe and other aeronauts serving with the Union army made ascensions to reconnoiter rebel positions, draw maps of terrain and fortifications, count numbers of opposing troops, and otherwise gain important intelligence on the enemy, Confederate soldiers and officers felt a great deal of consternation as to how they would deal with their foes’ apparent advantage. Often the Confederate response was anything but subtle: blasting away at the balloons with whatever artillery and musketry that could be brought to bear; while other measures were quite clever, involving some ploy to fool the aerial observers.

In late August of 1861, Lowe began making daily ascensions in his new balloon Union, designed and built specifically for military use. Almost immediately after these flights began, Confederate artillery batteries in the area opened fire on the aerostat. One such battery was under the command of E.P. Alexander, a young southern officer whose name will come up a bit later in this story. This artillery fire was ineffective, however, in doing anything other than wasting ammunition. Many artillery crews were trained to find their targets by “zeroing in”—to do this one must observe where a previous shot strikes and correct the next shot to bring it closer to the target. Since no impact could be observed when firing at an object floating in the air, the gun crews could not zero in their shots. Another difficulty was the effects of gravity on shot—the artillerymen knew that their fire would fall in an arc, but many did not have a grasp of the mathematics needed to calculate the proper angle of fire. Some cannon crews would adopt the tactic of creating a “blanket” of fire through which an ascending or descending balloon would have to pass. While this practice was more logical, and did cause damage to troops and camps beyond the balloon, it never scored a hit.

Despite the lack of any direct hits to Union balloons, there were numerous close calls. There are quite a few reports of cordage and even the basket being struck or nicked by solid shot or shrapnel. In late 1861 the balloon Constitution was making observations at Budd’s Ferry near Washington, when Confederate batteries opened fire, shells exploding quite near to the craft. At the siege of Yorktown, Lowe wrote of a heavy Armstrong cannon that exploded because of the extreme angle of elevation its crew used in an attempt to shoot down the balloon. At the Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines), the balloonist reported a projectile passing between the ropes just beneath the basket. During the same battle, Confederates employing the “blanket of fire” method missed the balloon, but landed shells less than 200 feet behind it. During the Battle of Fredericksburg, Lowe remembered a shell passing within 20 feet of his balloon.

This artillery fire did sometimes create havoc on the ground, though it may not have struck its intended target. The Army of the Potomac’s cavalry commander, General Stoneman complained to Lowe that the shelling of the balloons endangered and upset his horses. On another occasion, Lowe and Stoneman were talking outside of Lowe’s tent in the balloon camp when both men were showered by dirt kicked up by a shell targeting the balloon. It was reported during the Peninsula campaign that General Slocum’s cookhouse, located adjacent to the balloon camp was struck by similar indirect fire. General Heintzelman in his headquarters was nearly hit under similar circumstances. Also during that campaign a 64-pounder ball came within feet of killing General George B. McClellan (commander of the army) and General Fitz John Porter. The ball landed between two men sleeping in a nearby tent—both were miraculously unhurt. In the diary of a soldier of the 13th New Hampshire a story of artillery fire intended for a balloon ends with a fellow soldier being covered in filth when a cannon ball lands in the camp latrine he was supposed to be cleaning.

Science, Showmanship and Suspense: Part 3: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

Lowe had taken off from Cincinnati, Ohio at around 3:00am on April 20th, 1861 and landed in a shanty town nine miles west of Unionville (now known as Union), South Carolina that same morning. He had traveled between 900 and 1,200 miles in less than nine hours, utilizing the high altitude easterly wind currents, the existence of which he had sought to prove. Unfortunately, the residents of rural South Carolina were at best suspicious and at worst hostile toward this enigmatic Yankee and his contraption.

As the locals debated whether or not to shoot the aeronaut, the young woman who had first emerged to assist Lowe told him not to worry as the men were “all cowards” (perhaps the brave ones had gone off to join the Confederate army). After releasing the remaining gas and folding the balloon, the woman invited Lowe into her family’s home for a meal of corn-dodgers. The “conservatives” of the town finally agreed to take Lowe and his balloon, under armed guard, to Unionville—the county seat a number of miles distant. After an awkward and uncomfortable wagon ride, Lowe and his escorts arrived in Unionville at about 10:00pm.

As the town officials made ready to incarcerate Lowe, the local newspaper editor (A.W. Thomson, who was also a member of the state legislature) and innkeeper both recognized Lowe’s name from publicity surrounding The Great Western. Lowe was therefore allowed to spend the night at the inn rather than the county jail—the first sleep he had enjoyed in over 40 hours. Lowe was awoken early in the morning of the 21st by an angry crowd in front of the inn. Fortunately, the innkeeper and Mr. Thomson were able to calm the mob and inform them that in their midst was not a spy, but a famed scientist. Lowe was paraded around town and met with several important locals who presented him with a signed certificate stating the time and location of his landing the day before.

The following day Professor Lowe boarded a train to Columbia, SC with the intent on continuing to Washington from there. Shortly after his arrival in the state capital, however, Lowe was placed under arrest. News of his coming preceded him and Confederate officials had ordered him arrested. A secessionist mob seemed inclined to “tar and feather the damn Yankee,” while others suggested simply hanging him from the nearest tree. Despite these threats, Lowe made it safely behind the bars of Columbia’s jailhouse. Here, he was visited by the city’s mayor and convinced him to confer with the faculty of South Carolina College. Indeed, the faculty had heard of Lowe and his pursuits and vouched for him as a scientist rather than a spy. Again, Lowe was released from incarceration and given a celebrity’s tour of the city. Mayor Boatswain even presented him with a signed “passport” to ensure unmolested passage out of the Confederacy.

As Lowe, with his balloon in tow, finally made his way back to Cincinnati he took note of the plethora of encampments, recruiting posts, military bands, army trains, and well equipped rebel troops along the way. Other than a few propaganda-spouting southern officers, the other travelers on the train were extraordinarily quiet. The aeronaut began to realize that his plans for a trans-Atlantic flight seemed trivial in light of the reality of civil war. “I was fully convinced,” he later wrote, “that the country was facing a severe struggle.” Upon finally arriving back in Ohio, Lowe’s formerly somber fellow travelers suddenly let out cheers at the sight of the flag of the Union—they were all displaced refugees or northerners returning home. Lowe came to the decision that he would abandon his plan of crossing the ocean by air, but instead offer his skills as an aeronaut to the US government in the conflict to come.

Filmmaker Ken Burns and Balloonist Sir Richard Branson Praise the Intrepid

We are very excited about the praise renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and adventure balloonist and Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson are giving the historic reconstruction of the Civil War Balloon, the Intrepid which will take flight this summer here at GCV&M.
We hope you will find the comments of these gentlemen just as exciting....

"Bravo for the reproduction of the The Intrepid by the Genesee Country Village & Museum. The history of aviation is fascinating and a bit misunderstood. Long before the Wright Brothers took flight on the dunes of North Carolina in 1903; two other brothers – Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier – were the first true pilots when they took to the skies in a hot-air balloon in 1783. Between those two dates, the first military use of aviation took place during the American Civil War in September of 1861 when The Intrepid flew above a Virginia battlefield. I’m proud that my small contribution to aviation history has involved flying balloons where they had not been flown before (across the Pacific and Atlantic), and I’m thrilled that the authentic reproduction of the Intrepid will help keep the rich history of ballooning alive."

Sir Richard Branson

Chairman, Virgin Group

"I was thrilled to hear that the Genesee Country Village & Museum is building a working replica of The Intrepid - a gas balloon that flew during the Civil War. On September 24, 1861 The Intrepid flew above a Virginia battlefield during the Civil War and made history. It was the first use of aviation in warfare and, with the help of a telegraph wire, the first time artillery was directed at an unseen enemy. That modest flight was a harbinger of the horrific role aviation would play in the world wars of the 20th Century.

The mission for the Genesee Country Village & Museum states that it seeks "…to foster a deeper understanding of the past and its relevance to the contemporary world." This is exactly what we try to do with our films such as "The Civil War" and, most recently, "Prohibition." Both strive to create a strong emotional connection with history and help us better understand who we are as Americans today. I have filmed at Genesee Country Village & Museum; it's a beautiful, living slice of 19th Century America and this new exhibit is an exciting addition. I also can't help but think that this balloon is going to make a great camera platform the next time I'm filming in Upstate New York!"

Ken Burns
Filmmaker

Intrepid Reconstruction Gains Backing of Filmmaker Ken Burns and Balloonist Sir Richard Branson

 MUMFORD, N.Y., March 6, 2012 — Genesee Country Village & Museum’s (GCV&M: www.gcv.org) Intrepid forthcoming exhibit – the world’s only Civil War manned balloon replica – has garnered the attention of two prominent supporters. Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and adventure balloonist and Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson are praising the historic reconstruction, which will take to the air this summer.

“I was thrilled to hear that the Genesee Country Village & Museum is building a working replica of the Intrepid,” Burns said. “On September 24, 1861, the Intrepid flew above a Virginia battlefield during the Civil War and made history. I have filmed at Genesee Country Village & Museum; it’s a beautiful, living slice of the 19th-Century America and this new exhibit is an exciting addition.”

Burns said the museum’s mission to foster a deeper understanding of the past and its relevance to the contemporary world is what he tries to do with his films such as The Civil War and Prohibition`. Both strive to create a strong emotional connection with history and help citizens better understand themselves as Americans today.

Branson was equally enthusiastic. “Bravo for the reproduction of the Intrepid by the Genesee Country Village & Museum. The history of aviation is fascinating and a bit misunderstood,” he said. “I’m proud that my small contribution to aviation history has involved flying balloons where they had not been flown before – across the Pacific and Atlantic – and I’m thrilled that the authentic reproduction of The Intrepid will help keep the rich history of ballooning alive.”

The Intrepid is being built by AeroBalloon Inc. of Hingham, Mass., with historical guidance from GCV&M and a team of prominent advisors including Tom D. Crouch, Ph.D., senior curator of the Aeronautics for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum; Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and Rob Shenk, director, Internet Strategy & Development, Civil War Trust.

The initiative’s total estimated cost of nearly $300,000 has been partially offset by a number of generous donations. As construction progresses, GCV&M will continue to seek additional financial support for the project. Its first public flight at GCV&M is expected to take place on July 4, 2012.

Science, Showmanship and Suspense: Part 2: The Final Test

Professor Lowe enjoyed the life of a celebrity as he awaited proper conditions for his final test flight before taking The Great Western across the Atlantic. He received invitations from every social circle in Cincinnati, attending parties and dinners on a regular basis. It was late in the evening at one such event when Lowe got word that the weather was right: strong westerly winds at ground level. With the winds blowing west on the ground, Lowe could provide clear evidence of consistent high-altitude east-blowing air currents (this was a theory that Lowe and other aeronauts were collecting data to support).


He went to his test balloon, Enterprise, which was already inflated, and rushed to make last-minute preparations. However, he was delayed by the local newspaper editor who was running off a stack of copies of the next day’s Cincinnati Commercial. Lowe would take these copies as proof of his point and time of origin. Once the papers were in hand, Lowe ascended alone between 2:00 and 3:00 am on April 20th, 1861.

The craft, as expected, began traveling west, until and altitude of 6,000 feet was attained and Lowe entered “the great easterly river of the sky.” The temperature dropped to zero degrees, which caused the moisture on the envelope’s surface to condense and create a miniature “sleet storm” in the basket. The heat of the sunrise caused expansion of the gas and Enterprise rose to approximately 18,000 feet. Lowe drifted over the Cumberland Mountains and ascended still higher due to buffeting air currents—what he figured to be some 23,000 feet.

After passing over the mountains, he quickly dropped in altitude, low enough to shout out to some farmers working in a field below, “what state is this?” Bewildered, the farmers looked all around, unable to locate the disembodied voice. They answered, “Virginia,” nonetheless. Lowe dropped a bit of sand from one of his ballast bags and the farmers looked up. Terror overtook them at the sight of the balloon and they fled for the cover of the trees. Lowe ascended again into the easterly current, until coming back to ground a couple hours later.

He was quickly surrounded by “several planters and negroes.” The slaves attempted to assist Lowe in wrangling the craft to the ground, but were prevented from doing so by the armed white farmers. Several of the latter made threats of violence toward the “damn Yankee devil,” so Lowe to decided to beat a hasty retreat and threw a large bag of ballast out of the basket. As he made another rapid ascent, a young farm hand called out to him, “Hey Mister! I reckon you forgot your baggage!”

The test flight came to an end as Lowe once more drifted down to the earth in a rural South Carolina village. The inhabitants of the town ran for cover; these poor whites and blacks, unlike their city counterparts, had never seen a contraption such as this. A tall young white woman was the first to emerge and lend aid to the professor. The others soon came out, “sneakily deposit[ing] their guns” to avoid embarrassment.

“Many of them still thought I was an inhabitant of some ethereal or infernal region,” Lowe later wrote. In an attempt to explain his journey, Lowe took out one of his rubber water bottles and cut it open to show the contents had frozen at high altitude. The townsfolk, however, saw this as only more evil magic. One elder declared that any Yankee capable of doing these things should be “shot on the spot where he had dropped from the skies.”

Lowe’s free flight had been a success, but he was now faced with threats to his very life. It would be a difficult, if not improssible task, to get himself back home. Not only was he a northerner (with a bundle of abolitionist newspapers, no less) in the South only a week after Fort Sumter had been fired upon, but he was also, at least to these people, a witch!...

Science, Showmanship and Suspense: Part 1: Crossing the Atlantic by Air

As Professor Thadeus S.C. Lowe gained notoriety and experience in the scientific art of aeronautics during the decade preceding the outbreak of civil war, he also joined the ranks of American balloonists who had announced their intentions to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air. Lowe’s rivals, James Allen and John La Mountain had also proposed the feat and even asked Congress for funds.


Lowe, however, was able to make a helpful connection the others could not: backers in Philadelphia put him in contact with Professor Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian Institution. The two met and became friends. Henry, impressed by Lowe’s equipment, ability, and knowledge, supported his plan, but suggested one final overland experiment, both to assure the hardiness of the craft and to provide additional evidence of the theory of consistent easterly winds at high altitudes (thanks to the research of Lowe and others, the existence of such a current is now common knowledge).

Lowe’s massive balloon, The Great Western, had already been on display in New York City for several months. In fact, the aerostat had originally held the name City of New York, but when, much to Lowe’s annoyance, that city’s gas company was unable to fully inflate the balloon in the required window of time, Lowe moved his operation and renamed it.

The Great Western was an impressive vehicle—when fully inflated, the envelope was 130 feet in diameter, 200 feet high, and contained 725,000 cubic feet of gas. Suspended below was an enclosed basket with room for six passengers and provisions. Various national flags hung around the outside of the basket as a show of friendship to any country in which the journey may end—France, Spain, and Morocco for example. A boat (called the Leontine, after Mrs. Lowe), with sails, a small engine, and additional supplies was tethered underneath the basket, in case the crew should need to make a premature water landing. Supplies included food, water in India rubber bottles, barometers, thermometers, telescopes, compasses, life-preserving suits, passports, flares, and 100 rubber bags with small silk parachutes containing messages to be dropped over land or to vessels on the sea below.

As per Professor Henry’s suggestion, Lowe travelled with a smaller test balloon, Enterprise (built with funds gathered for his trans-Atlantic flight and associated research), to Cincinnati, Ohio and awaited the proper conditions for his final epic experiment—the journey that would prove his readiness to cross the Atlantic by air…

Floating in the Azure Sky

Ms. S. Emma Edmonds provides us with a vivid story as she recalls seeing a balloon ascend in her 1865 book Nurse and Spy in the Union Army.


“In looking back over the events of the two years which I spent in the army, I see so much worthy of record that I scarcely know where to stop.


A most thrilling incident occurs to mind at this moment in connection with Professor Lowe and his balloon , which I must relate before closing. It took place while McClellan’s army was in front of Yorktown.


General Fitz John Porter having been in the habit of making frequent ascension in company with Professor Lowe, learned to go aloft alone.


One morning he stepped into the car and ordered the cable to be let out with all speed. We saw with surprise that the flurried assistants were sending up the great straining canvas with a single rope attached. The enormous bag was only partially inflated, and the loose folds opened and shut with a sharp report like that of a pistol. Noisily, fitfully, the great yellow mass rose toward the sky, the basket rocking like a feather in the breeze. Presently a sound came like a feather in the breeze. Presently a sound came from overhead like the explosion of a shell – the cable had snapped asunder, and the balloon was adrift.


All eyes were turned toward the receding car, where General Porter sat in his aerial castle, being borne heavenward as fast as if on eagle wings without the power to check or guide his upward flight.


The whole army agitated by this unwonted occurrence, and the rebel army evidently partook in the general excitement.


Lowe’s voice could be heard above the confusion and tumult shouting to the soaring hero – “Open-the-valve! Climb-to-the-netting-and-reach-the valve-rope!”


“The valve-the valve!” repeated a multitude of voices, but all in vain, for it was impossible to make him hear.


Soon the signal corps began to operate, and at last the general was made to understand by signals when it was impossible to reach him by the human voice.


He appeared directly over the edge of the car, and then clambered up the netting and reached for the cord, but he was so far above us then he looked no bigger than a great black spider.


It was a weird spectacle – that frail, fading object floating in the azure sky, with the miniature boat swinging silently beneath, looking no bigger than a humming-bird’s nest; and a hundred thousand brave hearts beneath beating with the wildest excitement and warmest sympathy, yet powerless to render the least assistance to their exalted brother-in-arms.


“Had the general been floating down the rapids of the Niagara he could not have been farther from human assistance.”


We at length saw him descend from the netting and reappear over the edge of the basket, and he seemed to be motioning to the breathless crowd below the story of his failure.


Soon after the balloon began slowly to descend, and when we next saw him it was with spyglass in hand, reconnoitering the rebel works. Shouts of joy and laughter went up from the long lines of spectators as this cool procedure was observed.

For a moment it seemed doubtful in which direction the balloon would float; it faltered like an irresolute being, and at length moved reluctantly toward Fortress Monroe. Bursting cheers half uttered, quivered on every lip. All eyes glistened and many were dim with tears. But the wayward canvas now turned due west, and was blown rapidly toward the confederate works.

Its course was fitfully direct, and the wind seemed to veer often, as if contrary currents, conscious of the opportunity, were struggling for the possession of the daring navigator.

The south wind held the mastery for awhile, and the balloon passed the Federal front amid groans of despair from the soldiers. It kept right on, over sharpshooters, rifle-pits, etc, until it stood directly over the rebel fortifications at Yorktown. The cool courage, either of heroism or despair, seemed to seize the general, for turning his tremendous glass upon the ramparts and masked batteries below, he viewed the remote camps, the beleaguered town, the guns of Gloucester Point, and distant Norfolk. Had he been reconnoitering from a secure perch on the top of the moon he could not have been more vigilant; and the Confederates probably thought this some Yankee device to peer into their sanctum in spite of ball or shell. None of their large guns could be brought to bear upon the balloon, but there were some discharges of musketry, which seemed to have no effect whatever, and finally even these demonstrations ceased.

Both armies were gazing aloft in breathless suspense, while the deliberate general continued to spy out the land.

Suddenly another change of position, and the air craft plunged and tacked about, and steered rapidly for the Federal lines again. Making a desperate effort to catch the valve-rope, the general at length succeeded, and giving it a jerk, the balloon came suddenly to the ground; fortunately, however, it stuck a tent as it descended, which perhaps saved the general from any serious injuries from the fall.

By the time the crowd had reached the spot, Porter had disentangled himself from the folds of oiled canvas, and was ready to greet his anxious friends; and amid hearty congratulations and vociferous cheers, he was escorted to his quarters."

Got Gas?

The science of flight—Aerostatics, as it was known in the 19th century—became a reality as early as 1783, when the French brothers Montgolfier sent up a balloon using hot air heated by a fire on the ground. The Montgolfiers, only two months later, used a hydrogen-filled balloon to take three passengers: a sheep, duck, and rooster, into the air for King Louis XVI and his court.

By the time of the American Civil War, hot air was still not a practical method of lighter-than-air travel, as no device or fuel source had been employed that allowed a balloon to stay aloft for any length of time. Non-air gasses were therefore the main means of ascension.

Before the war, civilian balloonists, or aeronauts, used primarily “coal gas” from city lines. This was the same gas used to light street lamps in cities, and it was composed of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane.

As war broke out, aeronauts volunteering their services for the US Army quickly found that it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to fill their balloons in the cities and then tow them over rough terrain to join armies in the field. Before and en route to the First Battle of Bull Run at least four balloons, those of James Allen and John Wise, had already been lost to wind, trees, and telegraph poles. Another method was needed to inflate balloons in the field and to accommodate the stresses of battle!

The renown balloonist, John Wise, drew up plans for a portable apparatus based on the designs of late 18th century French aeronauts—it used a process called “water decomposition” to produce the combustible, but extremely light gas, Hydrogen. This process involved heating “iron turnings” and charcoal until white hot and then running steam into the material. The process, at the time, was sadly inefficient, however, and it was determined by the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia that using this proposed apparatus would require as much as 7,500 pounds of iron and other supplies, costing a total of $7,000 per inflation. The cost and inefficiency of this method made it impractical for military purposes.

Another young aeronaut, Thaddeus Lowe invented and had constructed another sort of portable generator: a wagon housed tanks of sulfuric acid, into which iron filings were deposited. The reaction gave off hydrogen, which moved into a leather hose and through two purifiers, and finally into the envelope of the balloon. This method and design was adopted by the army and proved practical even in the midst of battle. The generators could inflate a balloon in just over two hours (fast for the time) at a cost of only $60-$70—obviously superior to the water decomposition method. Lowe’s outside-the-box thinking brought him to the fore as chief aeronaut of the Union Army. His invention of the portable gas generators allowed him to effectively serve the Army of the Potomac through three major campaigns of the Civil War: the Peninsula, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.

War Balloons - 1861-1863

The balloon’s demonstration triumph led the Secretary of War Simon Cameron to direct Lowe to build four additional balloons. Two more followed shortly. The fleet now consisted of the Intrepid, Constitution, United States, Washington, Eagle, Excelsior, and the original Union. The balloons ranged in size from 32,000 cubic feet (906 cubic meters) down to 15,000 cubic feet (425 cubic meters). Each had enough cable to climb 5,000 feet (1524 meters).

Lowe continued providing tactical reports to the Union troops. He provided information during the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, and in late April 1863, at Fredericksburg, he transmitted hourly reports on Confederate movements. During the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia, Lowe continually transmitted information on enemy troop positions. Observations made during this battle proved to be crucial to the Union victory.

However, the balloon corps did not last until the end of the war. General George McClellan was relieved of his command in 1863, and Captain Cyrus Comstock, who was assigned to oversee the balloon corps, cut its funding and thus its effectiveness. Lowe was also accused of financial impropriety, and his pay was reduced. Lowe resigned from the balloon corps on May 8, 1863. By August 1863, the corps had disbanded.

Gas was plentiful in Washington but after inflation the transportation of the balloons from the city to the battlefields was too dangerous and time consuming. Thaddeus Lowe set out to invent a portable gas generating device that could be used anywhere. What he came up with was a lined wooden tank mounted on a wagon filled with some water and iron filings. This combination yielded hydrogen gas when doused with sulfuric acid. The horse drawn wagons were large and rectangular in shape and weighed about 1,000 pounds each. A total of twelve of these wagons were built to service the balloons.

The Coming Intrepid Receives Media Coverage

Since our announcement on Thursday of our exciting reconstructed Civil War ballloon, the Intrepid, coming this summer, several local journalists have helped share our story.

We invite you to read...

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle discusses the addition of the balloon to the Museum.

Nate Dougherty covers the inspiration and innovation behind reconstruction the Intrepid in his Rochester Business Journal article "Museum Works with Smithsonian on New Replica."

... listen...

WHAM 1180's Chuck Walker talks with GCV&M President, Peter Arnold about the Intrepid on Thursday's morning show.

...and watch...

YNN's Wendy Mills shares the Intrepid story with area viewers the excitement of the replica Civil War balloon.

Demonstrating the Intrepid - 1861

Shortly after war broke out, the Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase suggested that the United States establish a balloon corps under the command of Thaddeus Lowe. This corps would provide aerial reconnaissance for the Union armies. Secretary Chase arranged a meeting between Lowe and President Abraham Lincoln on June 11, 1861.

On June 17, 1861, after meeting with the President, Lowe demonstrated his balloon. He drifted upwards to a height of 500 feet in a balloon called Enterprise from the vicinity of the Washington Mall. The balloon was filled with methane from the city’s natural gas supply. In a stroke of genius Lowe took a telegraph up with him in the balloon and sent Lincoln a telegram from the balloon. The President immediately invited Lowe back to the White House and spent the evening with him, after which he gave him a note of introduction to General Scott. When Lowe presented the note to Scott next morning, Scott's staff stonewalled him but Lincoln personally intervened and introduced Lowe to the General.

Lowe received funds to build a balloon on August 2, 1861. The first U.S. balloon designed for military use, the Union, was ready for action on August 28. Because he was forced to inflate the balloon with gas from municipal lines in Washington, D.C (he had not received his funds yet for a portable gas generator), the balloon could not be moved far, which limited operations to the Washington, DC, area.

On September 24, 1861, Lowe ascended to more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) near Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and began telegraphing intelligence on the Confederate troops located at Falls Church, Virginia, more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) away. Union guns were aimed and fired accurately at the Confederate troops without actually being able to see them—a first in the history of warfare.

World’s Only Civil War Manned Balloon Takes to the Air in Summer 2012

The Genesee Country Village & Museum is building a One-of-a-Kind Replica of the Intrepid, the manned Civil War Balloon.

Flights are expected to begin this July in at the Genesee Country Village & Museum.

In late 1861, Virginia residents were shocked to see a manned balloon rise on the horizon, directing Union Army artillery against Confederate positions. One hundred and fifty years later, the Intrepid – the first type of aerial vehicle used for combat in the United States – will take flight once again beginning this summer.

Genesee Country Village & Museum plans to begin offering flights to visitors starting July 4. Rising 400 feet (32 stories) above the 700-acre museum grounds in suburban Rochester, N.Y., the Intrepid will carry up to four passengers at a time in addition to the pilot. These 15-minute flights can be booked for a nominal fee in addition to their museum entry fee. More details will be released over the course of the coming months.

Bringing History to Life

“Our launch of the Intrepid brings to life one of the most unique elements of American history in a manner never before attempted,” said Peter Arnold, chief executive officer and president of GVC&M. “As Civil War remembrances occur across the nation during its 150th anniversary, we believed there was no better time to undertake this initiative. The balloon and the planned Civil War encampment surrounding the launch site further enhance our authentic 19th century village – the third largest collection of historic buildings in America.”

Not only was the Intrepid the predecessor to modern-day military aviation, but it also foreshadowed the future of military reconnaissance communications. The pilot would send intelligence information – troop movements, artillery compensation instructions, and more – to soldiers on the ground via telegraph. Conceived by Professor Thaddeus Lowe, the resulting Union Army Balloon Corps was personally approved by President Abraham Lincoln in June 1861.

Originally fueled by hydrogen gas, the Intrepid replica takes to the air via a helium. Like the original seven gas balloons used during the Civil War, the Intrepid is tethered to land for optimal convenience and safety.

Bringing the Intrepid to Life

The Intrepid is being built by AeroBalloon Inc. of Hingham, Mass., with historical guidance from GCV&M and a team of prominent advisors including Tom Crouch, senior curator, Division of Aeronautics. National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution; Jim Green, Director, Planetary Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Rob Shenk, Director, Internet Strategy & Development, Civil War Trust.

The initiative’s total estimated cost of nearly $300,000 has been partially offset by a number of generous donations. As construction progresses, GCV&M will continue to seek additional financial support for the project.