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Who was Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe?
Who was Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe?
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe (1832-1913) was a balloonist and Civil War aeronaut. He was an aerial showmen who was well known after his first flight in 1857. He was hoping to cross the Atlantic with a balloon. After some long flights and encouragement during the beginnings of the Civil War, Thaddeus approached President Abraham Lincoln on June 11, 1861 with Smithsonian Secretary Joseph Henry to plead the efficacy of ballooning in defeating the Confederacy.
On June 16, 1861, Joseph told Thaddeus to inflate his balloon on what is now the National Mall in Washington, D.C. He made a tethered ascent to 500 feet and sent a telegram (the first telegram ever sent from the air) to the White House, stretching slightly what he could actually see from the balloon. This resulted in Thaddeus going to the White House and planning how balloons could be part of military reconnaissance efforts.
Binoculars, Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, used during the Civil War
What could Thaddeus Lowe actually see? Watch this short video to find out a bit more about his experience.
View of "Intrepid", one of Thaddeus S. C. Lowe's aerial reconnaissance balloons, flying above the Battle of Fair Oaks
The Union Army Balloon Corps were organized just over a month later and Thaddeus became the Chief Aeronaut. This was the first military aeronautical unit in American History. These efforts demonstrated the importance and value of aerial reconnaissance.
Learn more about the story of how Thaddeus Lowe reinvented reconnaissance at the encouragement of President Lincoln in this short video.
Watch this extended panel chaired by retired curator Dr. Tom Crouch with experts to learn more about the role of ballooning during the Civil War.
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