The Union had several balloons, each named in a manner similar to naval ships: "INTREPID," "WASHINGTON," "EAGLE," EXCELSIOR," "UNION," "CONSTITUTION," and "UNITED STATES." And yes, for you trekkies, there was an "ENTERPRISE," so the Civil War can claim the first "Starship Enterprise." For modeling, the balloons were described as "fawn in color." They often had the name on the side, or were decorated with a large patriotic symbol such as a flag, eagle, or portrait, such as the "George Washington." Union generals who are documented to have taken a ride include McClellan, Sedgwick, Reynolds, Hooker, Custer, Fitz-John Porter, McDowell, and Sickles. Confederates loved the element of surprise, so they detested the sight of the dreaded balloon. Gen. Beauregard, frustrated by the balloon, spent many man-hours trying to conceal the positions of his troops. Gen. Longstreet used Quaker guns, extra campfires, and camouflage to disguise his positions. On the gaming table, this means a stand of figures must perform these duties (making them unavailable for marching & fighting) whenever the balloon is aloft. The Confederates tried, but failed, to shoot down the balloons. They attempted a "curtain of fire" while the balloon was ascending or descending (the first anti-aircraft fire!). On the Union side, we all know that what goes up, must come down. This means that every Reb shell fired at a balloon, although missing its target, must fall to earth somewhere. On the gaming table, every Union unit on the ground with 3" of the balloon's base must roll to see if they took casualties from the errant shot. Jeb Stuart's Chief of Artillery complained that his artillery crews, despite orders, were often too tempted by the sight of the attractive target. They would waste ammunition and reveal their position by trying pot shots or target practice at a balloon. An optional rule on the gaming table would require each Reb unit to dice roll to determine if they give in to temptation and try a shot when they see the balloon go up. The Union's misuse of this innovative idea of aerial reconnaissance is a story of missed opportunities. This gives us some great "what if' ideas for gaming scenarios... At Chancellorsville, the balloon was forced down early in the day due to strong winds. If the wind had not forced down the balloon, would Jackson's surprise flanking maneuver been revealed? At Shiloh, Gen. Halleck left the balloon corps in Cairo, Illinois. If he had taken the balloon to use at Pittsburgh Landing, would the Reb assault have been discovered? For further reading, I recommend "Military Ballooning during the Early Civil War" by F. Stansbury Haydon. It is considered the most complete source on the subject, and was my primary source of information for both the modeling and the facts about the aerial reconnaissance balloons. Contact Larry at larryreber.com for more information on the use of balloons in the Civil War, and for ordering and pricing information for the scale models depicted in the photographs. I saw these personally at Historicon, and they are superb! He has ground crews, gas wagons, and other accessories. Larry offers FREE shipping to all JRGS members who mention CHARGE! when they place an order. -SLM 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