War Balloons

War Balloons (HM1927)

Location: Fredericksburg, VA 22406
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 20.176', W 77° 31.127'

  • 1 likes
  • 2 check ins
  • 1 favorites
  • 1093 views
Inscription
During the Civil War, both the Union and Confederate armies performed reconnaissance while suspended from Hot Air Balloons. The Union Army's use of balloons began in the summer of 1861. After observing civilian balloonist Thaddeus Lowe float in a basket 1500 feet above Washington, D.C., President Lincoln realized the military potential for balloons. He promptly established the Balloon Corps and approved funding for equipment and personnel. On August 28, 1861, the first U.S. military balloon, the "Union," was ready to enter the war.

May 1, 1863 at 9:15 AM
"Heavy columns of Infantry/Artillery moving upriver opposite Falmouth accompanied by wagons."

May 2, 1863 at 6:15 AM
"The enemy are advancing in large numbers to attack our Army on the right of Fredericksburg."

May 4, 1863 at 6:50 PM
"The enemy are engaged in full force and driving our force badly."

May 4 and 5, 1863 at 7:30 PM
"The enemy have driven our left with a large force and have possession of the river opposite Falmouth."

Balloonists Thaddeus Lowe as quoted, May - May 5, 1863, in providing Major Generals Joe Hooker and John Sedgwick with strategic information during the Union Army's engagement at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Details
HM NumberHM1927
Tags
Marker Condition
0 out of 10 (2 reports)
Date Added Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 6:18pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 279854 N 4246128
Decimal Degrees38.33626667, -77.51878333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 20.176', W 77° 31.127'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 20' 10.56" N, 77° 31' 7.62" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1 Bolivar Point Lane, Fredericksburg VA 22406, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

The Marker Listing Needs Corrected

The narrative listed above has two (2) inaccuracies: 1 - They were gas (hydrogen) NOT hot air balloons; and 2 - Lowe tethered to an altitude of 500 NOT 1500 feet over Washington.

Jul 26, 2015 at 4:41pm PDT by tsclowe

I Could Not Find It

I looked, but could not find this marker :-(

Jul 26, 2015 at 4:40pm PDT by tsclowe

Comments 1 comments

  1. 1. I didn't find a marker at the coordinates listed above.

    2. The narrative listed above has two (2) inaccuracies: 1 - They were gas (hydrogen) NOT hot air balloons; and 2 - Lowe tethered to an altitude of 500 NOT 1500 feet over Washington.

    Respectfully,

    Kevin Knapp / Thaddeus Lowe, Aeronaut
    Civil War Balloon Corps Living History

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?