As Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia prepared to leave their camps along the Rappahannock River to head for Pennsylvania, many officers were cognizant of the Federal "eye in the sky," Professor Thaddeus Lowe's Balloon Department. For months, balloons had watched the comings and goings of Rebel commands, using telegraph wires to report the enemy movements. Lowe had resigned on May 8 after budget and salary cuts, and resulting accusations of his financial impropriety. Captain Cyrus Comstock was in charge of the balloonists. On June 3, initial elements of Lee's army broke camp near Fredericksburg and headed northwest toward Culpeper. The next day, Maj. Gen. Robert Rodes' division of Richard Ewell's corps left under the watchful eye of Union observation balloonists. Portions of Maj. Gen. Jubal Early's 7,200-man division, including John Gordon's brigade of six Georgia regiments, departed Hamilton's Crossing on June 4 under cover of darkness to avoid immediate detection. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, June 4, 1863 Major-General BUTTERFIELD, Chief of Staff. SIR: I have the honor to make the following report: The officer in charge in charge of the balloon reports that at 6 a. m. artillery and infantry could be seen moving to the rear of Fredericksburg. Near Scott's Dam is an extensive earthwork, in which can be distinguished six heavy guns. At 11 a. m. very little could be seen. Near Ely's Ford was a small cloud of dust, not more than one or two regiments would probably raise. All the troops near Bank's Ford have either moved, off or are hidden in the woods, with the exception on one brigade, which is on picket at the ford. I gave the order to watch for clouds of dust and the glitter of bayonets, and to make frequent reports, and I left the four orderlies with the officer in charge of the balloon. I am, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, J. C. BATES, Lieutenant, and Aide-de-Camp* *Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 27, Part 3, Pages 5-7, 70. Now aware of the Rebels' curious movements, other balloonists were put on full alert, and soon they spotted movement in their sector across the river from the Union First Army Corps. JUNE 4, 1863 - 10 a. m. Major-General MEADE, Stoneman's Switch: Balloon reports from Banks' Ford two camps disappeared and several batteries in motion. Balloon near Reynolds reports line of dust near Salem Church, and 20 wagons moving northerly on the Telegraph road. DANIEL. BUTTERFIELD, Major-General, Chief of Staff Soon, reports from spies and scouts verified that Ewell's entire corps was marching northwest, apparently headed for the Shenandoah Valley. A heavy concentration of Rebel cavalry was spotted near Culpeper, and reports circulated that three Rebel cavalry brigades had joined Stuart - A. G. Jenkins from the Kanawha River region of western Virginia (today's West Virginia), Beverly Robertson up from North Carolina, and Grumble Jones from the Shenandoah Valley. If true, it might mean that Lee was planning a major operation. Hooker sent his own cavalry to investigate these reports, culminating in the battle of Brandy Station on June 9, the opening fight of the Gettysburg Campaign. Hooker went up in a balloon on June 12 to see for himself what the Rebels were doing. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, June 12, 1862 Major-General DIX: All of Lee's army, so far as I know, is extended along the immediate banks of the Rappahannock, from Hamilton's Crossing to Culpeper. A. P. Hill's corps is on his right, Fredericksburg. Ewell's corps joins his left, reaching to the Rapidan; and beyond that river is Longstreet's corps, with not less than 10, 000 cavalry, under Stuart. These bodies have been very much swollen in numbers of late, the enemy's divisions corresponding with our corps. Several brigades of D. H. Hill's division in North Carolina are now with Lee. From my balloon it can be seen that he is daily receiving acquisitions. He has a numerical superiority over me. For several days past Lee has been at Culpeper. HOOKER, Major-General. When Hooker's army finally started northward to intercept Lee, they left behind the balloonists. With the change in commanders from Hooker to Meade, their utility and funding continued to decline, and in August 1863, the Balloon Corps was disbanded. Back to Table of Contents -- Charge! # 5 Back to Charge! List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by Scott Mingus. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com