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| Battle of Hanover Court House |
HDQRS. TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
May 27, 1862.
Prof. T. S. C. LOWE,
Chief Aeronaut, Army of the Potomac:
DEAR SIR: The general commanding desires, first, that balloon ascensions be made as frequently as is practicable at each balloon station and that full reports of the results of the observations be transmitted at once to these headquarters; second, that no persons be permitted to ascend in the balloon with the exception of the general in command at the position which the balloon occupies, and those authorized by him; third that newspaper correspondents and reporters be in no case permitted to ascend.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. A. HUMPHREYS,
Brigadier General Chief of Topographical Engineers, Army of the Potomac.
It will be seen from the following dispatches that the enemy improved every opportunity to fire at the balloon. On this occasion I ascended to a high altitude, and before I descended I had the balloon moved considerably to one side, so that the subsequent firing was out of range, and thus, by changing my location, prevented the enemy from having a good mark to fire at.
MAY 27, 1862.
General A. A. HUMPHREYS:
Ascended at 4.45 p.m. one mile from Mechanicsville and, I should judge, four miles from Richmond, in an air line. At 5 o"clock three batteries opened upon me, firing many shots, some falling short and some passing beyond the balloon and one over it, while it was at an elevation of 300 to 400 feet. A battle is going on about four miles distant; heavy cannonading and musketry. I will go up again and report.
T. S. C. LOWE.
MAY 27, 1862.
Brigadier-General HUMPHREYS,
Chief of Topographical Engineers:
GENERAL: I made my second ascent at 5.30 p.m., and remained up until 6.45 p.m. Richmond and vicinity are much more distinct from this point, and I was able to discover with ease the exact position of the enemy. The heaviest camps seem to be near the banks this side of James River and little to the left of Richmond. The next heaviest are to the right of Richmond on the road from Mechanicsville. There are also several smaller on the first heights opposite Mechanicsville, and several batteries stationed there, some of which I saw put in position while in the balloon, besides those that fired at me.
The heights opposite New Bridge for two miles each way seem to be entirely unoccupied, except by the enemy's pickets.
No earth-works of any description are visible, although the country is tolerably clear from woods on the Mechanicsville road, and if there are earth-works on this side they are very near the city and behind the last line of woods.
In the northwest from where the balloon is, and about ten miles distant, there was heavy smoke.
To the north, near the Pamunkey River, was the heavy cannonading and musketry, but the distance and heavy woods prevented me from seeing the detail movements. The enemy in and around Richmond are apparently very strong in numbers.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
T. S. C. LOWE,
Chief Aeronaut.
Official Records, Series III., Vol. 3, Part 1, Page 279.
Porter's Provisional Fifth Corp had been sent toward Hanover Court House to open up a line of communication for McDowell's reinforcements advancing from Fredericksburg and seek out a Confederate force believed to be operating in the area. Morell's Division, G. K. Warren's Brigade, and a small force of cavalry and artillery encountered L. O. B. Branch's brigade (4,500), which had been brought down from Gordonsville and ordered to protect the railroad. After contact was made, Branch was driven west to Ashland after a stiff fight. Union losses were 355, with about 200 Confederates dead and 700 captured. It was an unwise fight for the rebels, brought about by a misunderstanding of the size of the Union force by Branch. Lowe appears here, again giving highly detailed and accurate information about Confederate dispositions (along with a vivid account of some of the first anti-aircraft fire ever reported.
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