Was Custer The One Of The First US Army Airforce Aerial Observers?

Leigh Cole

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Monroe, MI
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from thread https://civilwartalk.com/threads/balloon-corps.25952/

Well, he wasn't the first to get sent up in a balloon, but he was the first to truly be successful with it, surely. As a side note, the maps he drew are at the Monroe Historical Museum. This is an excerpt from an article by Thom Hatch in the Civil War Essential Curriculum:

"In the spring of 1862, during the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, Custer was assigned duty under Brigadier General William Farrar “Baldy” Smith as a military observer from a hot-air balloon. Custer usually ascended at night to a height of 1,000 feet for his reconnaissance. With field glasses, map, and compass, he would note gun emplacements, count enemy campfires, plot the number of white tents, and sketch their locations in his notebook. On the night of May 4 he noticed that the Confederates had possibly departed their position. He and another officer reconnoitered the area and confirmed the pullout. On balloon duty, Custer had been afforded the opportunity to view the American landscape in a manner few of his generation had ever experienced."

Custer noted he was not fond of the height or the balloon, but he did his job as ordered. One of America's first aerial observers indeed!​
 
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I read somewhere that Custer was flat- out scared, either his knees buckled or he was in the fetal position. The balloon operator jumped up and down to shake the basket for laughs. None of this may be true but I'd like to hear if any others heard any such thing.
We know he was not fond of them. He himself wrote about that...in Religious Studies, we call that "Criterion of Embarrassment" meaning the worse it looks on someone, the less that someone is willing to admit it, so when they do, the level of probability rises higher that it is true.
However, by judging by his map drawings, he looks like he conquered his fears. They are actually excellent pencil sketches of the Confederate positions as he saw them.it it.
 
Well, he wasn't the first to get sent up in a balloon, but he was the first to truly be successful with it, surely. As a side note, the maps he drew are at the Monroe Historical Museum. This is an excerpt from an article by Thom Hatch in the Civil War Essential Curriculum:

"In the spring of 1862, during the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, Custer was assigned duty under Brigadier General William Farrar “Baldy” Smith as a military observer from a hot-air balloon. Custer usually ascended at night to a height of 1,000 feet for his reconnaissance. With field glasses, map, and compass, he would note gun emplacements, count enemy campfires, plot the number of white tents, and sketch their locations in his notebook. On the night of May 4 he noticed that the Confederates had possibly departed their position. He and another officer reconnoitered the area and confirmed the pullout. On balloon duty, Custer had been afforded the opportunity to view the American landscape in a manner few of his generation had ever experienced."

Custer noted he was not fond of the height or the balloon, but he did his job as ordered. One of America's first aerial observers indeed!​
To bad that he did not have one of those observation balloons with his at Little Bid Horn. Wonder if his command would have allowed him to use one if he had asked,
 
Look at how tiny that basket is! I think it does Custer and his courage great credit to get up in that small thing at all - it is barely knee-high! How anyone would dare to climb in such a small, wobbly thing is a mystery to me. Modern baskets are waist-high at least.
All it would have taken was one shot from a Confederate sharpshooter and no massacre at Little Round Top ,and no legendary military Hero. Then no Remember Little Round Top ,Remember Custer and the 7th .even though the 7th was still organized .correct?
 
I know of an early operation near the Mattawoman River in December of 1861 where the barge 'Custis Lee' (?) got pulled down the Potomac to view a point on the opposite side using members of Sickles command in the balloon.
Lubliner.
 
All it would have taken was one shot from a Confederate sharpshooter and no massacre at Little Round Top ,and no legendary military Hero. Then no Remember Little Round Top ,Remember Custer and the 7th .even though the 7th was still organized .correct?
Little Round Top? Did you mean to say Little Bighorn?

The 7th United States Cavalry was formed in 1866 under Colonel Andrew Jackson Smith. Smith was in his 50s and deferred field command of the regiment to his younger second-in-command, Lieutenant Colonel Custer. As did the next commander after Smith, Colonel Samuel Sturgis.
 
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'During the Peninsula Campaign in April 1862, Lieutenant Custer was ordered to make observations and draw maps from a balloon. Although he was known for his nerve and daring, he later admitted his fear during his first flight with aeronaut James Allen. "I remained seated in the bottom of the basket with a firm hold upon either side." When Allen jumped up and down to prove that the wicker basket was safe, Custer expected "one or both of us [to be] dashed to the earth." Eventually, Custer grew to enjoy the "magnificent scenery" and appreciate the value of the spy balloon.'

p.55 Lincoln's Flying Spies: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps by Gail Jarrow, publ. by Calkins Creek, Honesdale, PA 2010
A very good book, easy to read, and packed with pictures and interesting information. I'm sorry there wasn't more to it. Finished it in just two days.

Thaddeus Lowe worked hard from June 1861 to convince the government that it needed a balloon corps with him at its head. Lincoln was amenable, but Winfield Scott was not. In August 1861 he got the okay to go ahead. The army did really poorly at paying the balloonists and keeping up their balloons, so after Chancellorsville, Lowe resigned and went home. There were no balloons at Gettysburg or afterward, even though nearly all the generals who used them found them to be of great value. The Confederates after the war commented that the Union could have used the balloons a great deal more, for just their presence was a real annoyance, forcing them to try stay out of the line of sight.

To answer the question, No, definitely not one of the first, but part of the earlier half of usage.
 
'During the Peninsula Campaign in April 1862, Lieutenant Custer was ordered to make observations and draw maps from a balloon. Although he was known for his nerve and daring, he later admitted his fear during his first flight with aeronaut James Allen. "I remained seated in the bottom of the basket with a firm hold upon either side." When Allen jumped up and down to prove that the wicker basket was safe, Custer expected "one or both of us [to be] dashed to the earth." Eventually, Custer grew to enjoy the "magnificent scenery" and appreciate the value of the spy balloon.'

p.55 Lincoln's Flying Spies: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps by Gail Jarrow, publ. by Calkins Creek, Honesdale, PA 2010
A very good book, easy to read, and packed with pictures and interesting information. I'm sorry there wasn't more to it. Finished it in just two days.

Thaddeus Lowe worked hard from June 1861 to convince the government that it needed a balloon corps with him at its head. Lincoln was amenable, but Winfield Scott was not. In August 1861 he got the okay to go ahead. The army did really poorly at paying the balloonists and keeping up their balloons, so after Chancellorsville, Lowe resigned and went home. There were no balloons at Gettysburg or afterward, even though nearly all the generals who used them found them to be of great value. The Confederates after the war commented that the Union could have used the balloons a great deal more, for just their presence was a real annoyance, forcing them to try stay out of the line of sight.

To answer the question, No, definitely not one of the first, but part of the earlier half of usage.
Excellent reply @Peace Society! Well done.

Lieutenant Custer bad mouth the balloons from the beginning . . . . then Karma kicked in and he was assigned to one as an observer! His first ascent was at the Warwick Courthouse with the Aeronaut James Allen. Peace Society shared the rest of the story.

While Lowe's initial proposal included Commissions, he and his Aeronauts were Civilian Contractors. Though the Aeronauts caught on quickly, in the beginning the larger balloons were required to take a Military Observer "trained" in operations and tactics - someone who "knew what to look for". While one hopeful author wrote Custer was one of the first aerial observers, he was not . . . . but many still believe and share the story . . . . just like they still believe and share the story that Southern Belle's donated the dresses off of their backs to help create the Confederate's second balloon, the Gazelle. While it still carries the nickname of the Silk Dress Balloon it was not made of dresses. However, to his credit, Custer was the first to report the Confederate withdraw from their positions north of Yorktown.

@Leigh Cole - many authors who do not understand the difference between the two always call Civil War aircraft "Hot Air Balloons". They were filled with City Gas or Hydrogen. There is a very distinct operational difference between a hot air and a gas balloon.

The picture below shows one of the maps drawn by Custer while aloft.

Custer Map From Balloon at Yorktown.jpg


@FarawayFriend the knee high basket you refer to is one of the smaller baskets in Lowe's inventory - The North operated 11 balloons of varying size: 4 personal balloons that the Aeronauts brought with them at the beginning of the war and 7 built under contract. Weight is a major consideration in balloon operations. Smaller balloons would use the smaller baskets . . . . . or as in the picture of the Intrepid with the knee high basket, a larger balloon that expelled much of it's lifting gas wouldn't go up with a larger basket, but it could with a smaller one. Remember, you're not going aloft to play basket ball or ballroom dance, you're going aloft to observe and report. in this case, less basket is more altitude or time in the air.

@Lubliner Yes, Lowe repurposed the captured George Washington Parke Custis and used it as a waterborne balloon platform!

George Washington Parke Custis on James River.jpg




Respectfully Submitted,

TSC Lowe, Aeronaut
Civil War Balloon Corps Living History
 
Excellent reply @Peace Society! Well done.

Lieutenant Custer bad mouth the balloons from the beginning . . . . then Karma kicked in and he was assigned to one as an observer! His first ascent was at the Warwick Courthouse with the Aeronaut James Allen. Peace Society shared the rest of the story.

While Lowe's initial proposal included Commissions, he and his Aeronauts were Civilian Contractors. Though the Aeronauts caught on quickly, in the beginning the larger balloons were required to take a Military Observer "trained" in operations and tactics - someone who "knew what to look for". While one hopeful author wrote Custer was one of the first aerial observers, he was not . . . . but many still believe and share the story . . . . just like they still believe and share the story that Southern Belle's donated the dresses off of their backs to help create the Confederate's second balloon, the Gazelle. While it still carries the nickname of the Silk Dress Balloon it was not made of dresses. However, to his credit, Custer was the first to report the Confederate withdraw from their positions north of Yorktown.

@Leigh Cole - many authors who do not understand the difference between the two always call Civil War aircraft "Hot Air Balloons". They were filled with City Gas or Hydrogen. There is a very distinct operational difference between a hot air and a gas balloon.

The picture below shows one of the maps drawn by Custer while aloft.

View attachment 398472

@FarawayFriend the knee high basket you refer to is one of the smaller baskets in Lowe's inventory - The North operated 11 balloons of varying size: 4 personal balloons that the Aeronauts brought with them at the beginning of the war and 7 built under contract. Weight is a major consideration in balloon operations. Smaller balloons would use the smaller baskets . . . . . or as in the picture of the Intrepid with the knee high basket, a larger balloon that expelled much of it's lifting gas wouldn't go up with a larger basket, but it could with a smaller one. Remember, you're not going aloft to play basket ball or ballroom dance, you're going aloft to observe and report. in this case, less basket is more altitude or time in the air.

@Lubliner Yes, Lowe repurposed the captured George Washington Parke Custis and used it as a waterborne balloon platform!

View attachment 398477



Respectfully Submitted,

TSC Lowe, Aeronaut
Civil War Balloon Corps Living History
Was much anchorage needed to tether a balloon so it would stay clear of enemy lines? I know of one incident where it drifted over enemy territory, but then drifted back. The platform barge you specifically named, was the balloon anchored during the ascent, and how volatile is hydrogen gas? I hope not too many questions. Appreciate your response,
Lubliner.
 
Was much anchorage needed to tether a balloon so it would stay clear of enemy lines? I know of one incident where it drifted over enemy territory, but then drifted back. The platform barge you specifically named, was the balloon anchored during the ascent, and how volatile is hydrogen gas? I hope not too many questions. Appreciate your response,
Lubliner.
@Lubliner - Great questions!

Lowe‘s SOP a was to have a minimum of 2 and preferred 3 tether lines to keep the balloon as stable as it could be given the wind pushing against it. Each of the tether lines in the Balloon Corps inventory was one mile long.

The freeflight incident you referred to occurred in April 1862 when Fitz John Porter wanted a quick look see prior to his morning staff meeting and he convinced the Aeronaut James Allen to allow him to go aloft using only one tether line. You can read his story here.

The George Washington Park Curtis was pushed by poles or pulled by a Tug. Balloon operations could occur while stationary or while moving as in the picture I shared above where the balloon tethered at 3,000ft while a Tug pulled the barge 13 miles down the James River.

Hydrogen gas was, is, and always will be very volatile. Treat it with the respect it is due and it will serve you well. Union Aeronauts made over 3,000 accident / incident free ascents during the Civil War yet everyone gets squeamish when I mention hydrogen because they only remember one (1) incident - the Hindenburg - even after I share that I personally have 34 accident / incident hydrogen balloon flights in my log book. “Oh, the Humanity”

I hope this answers your questions and sparks your interest in learning more!

Respectfully Submitted,

TSC Lowe, Aeronaut
Civil War Balloon Corps Living History
 
Excellent reply @Peace Society! Well done.

Lieutenant Custer bad mouth the balloons from the beginning . . . . then Karma kicked in and he was assigned to one as an observer! His first ascent was at the Warwick Courthouse with the Aeronaut James Allen. Peace Society shared the rest of the story.

While Lowe's initial proposal included Commissions, he and his Aeronauts were Civilian Contractors. Though the Aeronauts caught on quickly, in the beginning the larger balloons were required to take a Military Observer "trained" in operations and tactics - someone who "knew what to look for". While one hopeful author wrote Custer was one of the first aerial observers, he was not . . . . but many still believe and share the story . . . . just like they still believe and share the story that Southern Belle's donated the dresses off of their backs to help create the Confederate's second balloon, the Gazelle. While it still carries the nickname of the Silk Dress Balloon it was not made of dresses. However, to his credit, Custer was the first to report the Confederate withdraw from their positions north of Yorktown.

@Leigh Cole - many authors who do not understand the difference between the two always call Civil War aircraft "Hot Air Balloons". They were filled with City Gas or Hydrogen. There is a very distinct operational difference between a hot air and a gas balloon.

The picture below shows one of the maps drawn by Custer while aloft.

View attachment 398472

@FarawayFriend the knee high basket you refer to is one of the smaller baskets in Lowe's inventory - The North operated 11 balloons of varying size: 4 personal balloons that the Aeronauts brought with them at the beginning of the war and 7 built under contract. Weight is a major consideration in balloon operations. Smaller balloons would use the smaller baskets . . . . . or as in the picture of the Intrepid with the knee high basket, a larger balloon that expelled much of it's lifting gas wouldn't go up with a larger basket, but it could with a smaller one. Remember, you're not going aloft to play basket ball or ballroom dance, you're going aloft to observe and report. in this case, less basket is more altitude or time in the air.

@Lubliner Yes, Lowe repurposed the captured George Washington Parke Custis and used it as a waterborne balloon platform!

View attachment 398477



Respectfully Submitted,

TSC Lowe, Aeronaut
Civil War Balloon Corps Living History
Some of his maps he drew are here in the Monroe museum. I think we can say he was at least among the first very successful observers and even had the wherewithal to go scout the positions later on his own. What the composition of the balloon was, I don’t know. All I know is it was a balloon.
 
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