Lincoln's Flying Spies

Gr 5 Up—Born in 1832, Thaddeus Lowe grew up interested in science and mechanics and wanted to build a flying machine. Studying the works of aeronaut John Wise, he set up his own factory in 1856 and planned to travel across the Atlantic in a balloon. This trip never came to fruition, but Lowe received a great deal of publicity, as well as more knowledge about flying. By the outbreak of the Civil War, he knew that he could serve the Union cause by using his balloons to spy on the Confederate forces. President Lincoln, who had a keen interest in new technology, met with Lowe and encouraged the army to utilize his services. By September 1861, Lowe and his Balloon Corps were spying on Confederates in Virginia; in 1862 they traveled with General McClellan and participated in the Peninsular Campaign; and in 1863 the Balloon Corps made observations around Fredericksburg. In later years, Lowe worked as an inventor and built an electric railway in California. This volume presents Civil War history and highlights this extraordinary man. Photographs, drawings, reproductions, and sidebars appear on almost every page.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges