Drop Poision Gas from a Balloon - August 1997 Civil War Times Feature

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Drop Poison Gas from a Balloon

Bombing enemy positions from aircraft during the Civil War? That’s exactly what one Confederate soldier proposed as a way to overcome a Yankee fort in Florida.

BY BELL I. WILEY

As various historians have observed, the American conflict of 1861-1865 was the last of the old-fashioned and the first of the great modern wars. It was old-fashioned in that men wielding muzzle-loading weapons charged in mass formation with the generals out in front, and between battles opponents fraternized freely, even to the extent of exchanging visits, trading coffee for tobacco, swapping newspapers, swimming together, singing together, drinking together, and gambling together. It was modern in that repeating weapons were introduced to a limited extent on both sides, along with land mines, hand grenades, torpedoes, rockets, and flame throwers. It was also the first war in which a submarine sank an enemy vessel and ironclad warships were engaged in battle. References of Confederates to shooting down “moving bushes” in the Atlanta Campaign indicate the use of camouflage by Union troops. On September 11, 1862, germ warfare was proposed when R. R. Barrow, a Louisiana planter, wrote to Duncan F. Kenner of the Confederate Congress: “I have been surprised that nothing has been done to carry the yellow fever into New Orleans. It could be done so easily by sending a man that had already had the disease to some yellow fever town & there procure fever corpse, wrap the dead body in Blankets & put in a metallic coffin. Bring into N. O. Thus started the fever would soon become an epidemic throughout the city.” Evidently nothing came of this suggestion. Barbed wire was not developed until after the Civil War, but a Pennsylvania soldier describing an encounter with Confederates near Winchester in June 1863 stated: “It was by a small woods. The Rebs were in there. They had wire around the trees so our men couldn’t get near them…. They fought like demons. Our cavalry run like forty.”

Recently a letter was found in the National Archives which suggested a startling innovation. This letter proposed dropping on Fort Pickens and Federal ships at Pensacola, Florida, bombs containing poisonous gas. The bombs were to be dropped from a Confederate balloon anchored above the fort. The letter, written to Confederate Secretary of War L.P. Walker by Private Isham Walker of the 9th Mississippi Regiment, was accompanied by a sketch giving details of the proposal. Letter and sketch were filed in the Confederate War Department and apparently no attempt was made to implement Private Walker’s suggestion of aerial bombardment with poison laden missiles. Records in the National Archives show that Walker was honorably discharged by General Braxton Bragg’s special order Number 251 of October 3, 1861. Nothing is known of his subsequent career.

Camp Magnolia Near Pensacola, Florida, June 4th /61
Hon. L. P. Walker
Secretary of War

Hon Sir about one month ago the undersigned addressed his Excelency Jefferson Davis, proposeing to donate his Skill and body in an adventure to distroy the fortress Pickens and the fleet adjacent.

I am now informed that I must address you Hon. to get my Scheams propperly noticed, inclosed please find a rough Sketch of my plan for Bombarding Pickins and the fleet from balloon held in equilibum by 4 copper wires anchored as Shown and at an altitude of two miles, drop Poisonous Bombs into the fortress and fleet, which will be more effective than all of our batteries also Shown in the Sketch, the adventure is Practicle, Safe and Sure, endangering no lives in [the] confederate army, and the whole cost only Twelve Hundred Dollars for Balloon, wire, and chimicals, after the reduction of Pickins I offer my cirvices with the Balloon as a araunatic reconnoiter, takeing Photographic positions of U.S.A. the undersigned is a practical Balloonist, also a native of Tennessee and now a citizen of Holly Springs Miss. a private in Company, D, better known as the Jef Davis Rifles Hon Saml Benton Captain 9th Rigment Miss volinteers.

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