Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[536] morning, when we heard that a great battle must be fought, Professor Lowe notified me that I should extend the wire to his balloon, and we would try it. In one hour we had brought the wire a mile and a half, and I was ready to ascend with the Professor. The battle had commenced. When it had reached its zenith, Professor Lowe and myself, with the telegraph, had reached an altitude of two thousand feet. With the aid of good glasses we were enabled to view the whole affair between these powerful contending armies. As the fight progressed, hasty observations were made by the Professor and given to me verbally, all of which I instantly forwarded to General McClellan and division commanders through the agency of the obedient field instrument which stood by our side in the bottom of the car. Occasionally a masked rebel battery would open upon our brave fellows. In such cases the occupants of the balloon would inform our artillerists of its position, and the next shot or two would, in every case, silence the masked and annoying customers. For hours, and until quite dark, we remained in the air, the telegraph keeping up constant communication with some point. From the balloon to Fortress Monroe, a distance of over a hundred miles, this wire worked beautifully. A number of messages were sent and received between these two points, and had it not been for the tremendous rush of business on the wire, I should have telegraphed you directly from the balloon, while the battle was raging. Sunday morning, at daybreak, we again ascended. Early in the morning the battle was renewed, and with more fierceness than the day before. Incessant firing of musketry and artillery was kept up until noon, when I had the extreme pleasure to announce by telegraph from the balloon, that we could see the enemy retreating rapidly toward Richmond. At this time we could see firing on James River, to the left of Richmond, distance from the balloon, some said, fifteen miles. This fire was of short duration.

The streets of Richmond in the morning presented a deserted appearance, but very few people to be seen in the streets. During the afternoon and evening of Sunday nothing of interest transpired beyond the removal of the rebel dead and wounded, all of which we could distinctly see from the balloon. Every available machine that had wheels was brought into requisition for this purpose. From the scene of battle into the city of Richmond, the road was literally lined with ambulances, wagons and carts, conveying dead and wounded. About twilight we saw eamp-fires innumerable around the city; smoke issued from all their hospitals and barracks, which showed us to a certainty that the main body of their army had fallen back to Richmond. Monday morning we made several ascensions, and found a small force near the last scene of action, and thousands of troops marching out from the city, so you may look momentarily for a report of another severe battle.

I am going to continue my ascensions with Professor Lowe, and should I have an opportunity to give you a telegraphic report from the balloon without a violation of the General's Order to correspondents, you shall have it. Our experiments have met the approbation of all officers. Balloon telegraphing is fully established, and I am very happy to inform you that we are the first who have established it successfully. A feeble attempt to telegraph from a balloon was made in Washington last summer, of which I will give you a correct description, and bring good testimony to show it was a complete fizzle. Newspapers were filled with accounts of this wonderful experiment. Messages appeared as having been sent to the President and other distinguished individuals. The balloon ascended — so did the telegraph. Not until they had descended as low as the house-tops was the message started. Two thirds of it was sent after the balloon had delivered its passengers safely on terra firma. It was such a complete failure that the operator, W. B. Wilson, then at the War Department, who was to receive the despatch, refused to copy it, he having himself seen the balloon landed on the ground, after receiving the first few words. To this Professor Lowe himself will certify.--

Lancaster, Pa., Express.