PROFESSOR THADDEUS LOWE
THE CIVIL WAR YEARS
Lowe Defending Against an Congressional Inquiry - 1863
War of the Aeronauts, page 265
As behind-the-scenes maneuvering began to substantially change the way the Balloon Corps operated, Lowe not only began to lose control over his balloons, but he was also called upon to justify the very existence of military aeronautics. In the aftermath of several battles and campaigns that revealed a definite weakness in the Union army's fighting ability, members of Congress began to openly criticize the enormous expenditures going toward the war effort. In February, 1863, Thaddeus Lowe was summoned before a House committee on the conduct of the war to testify on the Corp's contribution to the war effort.
Memoirs of Thaddeus Lowe, page 161
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE
POTOMAC,
March 21, 1863.
Prof. T. S. C. LOWE, &c.:
By direction of the General-in-Chief, you will report on Monday morning next to the Committee of Congress on the Conduct of the War, now sitting in the Capitol.
By command of Major-General
Hooker:
S. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
O.R.--SERIES III--VOLUME III [S# 124]
CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, REPORTS, AND RETURNS OF THE UNION AUTHORITIES FROM
JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1863.--# 12
MARCH 27, 1863.
Hon. B. F. WAVE,
Chairman of Committee on
Conduct of the War:
SIR: Please find accompanying this note fifty-one reports of observations taken by me from the balloons during the latter part of May and the month of June, 1862, and forwarded to headquarters Army of the Potomac. They embrace but a small portion of the observations taken, but are all of the copies that I can now readily reach. It will be found that some few of these reports are without date, which is accounted for from the fact that they were sometimes written while in the balloon car and sent down to be copied and forwarded, and the persons who did this neglected to place dates upon the copies retained, as they were not considered of further value.
I remain, with great respect, your
most obedient servant,
T. S. C. LOWE,
Chief of Aeronautics.
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