I would like you all to consider for a moment that we live in an age of technology that is ever-progressing. In our modern times, technology is simply a way of life, something we take for granted. We rely on technology, and we do so without truly considering its evolution. People often joke about crude technology and crude medicine as being “left over from the Civil War”. However, the Civil War’s technology was revolutionary and cutting edge for its time. Perhaps in 200 years, future students will be studying the crude methods of the twenty-first century. Certainly, during the time of the Civil War, no one thought that their methods were crude. Possibly, we are living in our own Civil War era, we just do not recognize it. The Civil War was a changing point in the history of warfare. There were “firsts” in the Civil War that had never happened before. These firsts include the first time that a commander in chief could communicate with his generals on the battlefield. Another first is that the Civil War introduced the first Air Force that was used in military strategy.
The Civil War introduced technology into warfare that greatly changed the nature of warfare. Typically, people think of bayonets, muskets and cannons as the weaponry that the Civil War was fought with (Andrews). These weapons were certainly the mainstream weapons that were on the front lines. However, the Civil War had other technologies that functioned as weapons. These technologies included, surprisingly, the hot air balloon, and the telegraph. If you really think about it, this makes sense that these two types of technology could be used in warfare: A hot air balloon gives someone a bird’s eye view of the land, and the telegraph allows someone to communicate with distant authorities. The Union army effectively put to use these two forms of technology as war weaponry.
The nature of warfare before the civil war had been primarily physical combat. The technology of the hot air balloon, and the telegraph introduced military strategy into the battle plan. The role of generals became more important because there was a lot of information to consider with the technology of the hot air balloon and the telegraph. Generals were no longer the ultimate God on the battle field because they had to answer to a higher authority, President Abraham Lincoln (Wheeler). Firstly, hot air balloons were introduced to the civil war in 1861: “It was in August of 1861 that the first military balloons were christened the Union and the Constitution and cost a total of $1200 each” (Evans). The telegraph was introduced soon thereafter to the war, in February of 1862. The telegraph proved to be a major factor in contributing to the North’s victory: “For the first time in the history of warfare, the telegraph helped field commanders to direct real-time battlefield operations and permitted senior military officials to coordinate strategy across large distances” (Hochfelder). When Lincoln took office, there were not any telegraph lines. The War Department and the White House did not have telegraph lines (Wheeler). It was the Pennsylvania railroad designer, Andrew Carnegie, who was responsible for extending telegraph lines (Wheeler). Because Lincoln insisted on the telegraph, the war was able to be strategized from afar, thanks to the telegraph, and up close, thanks to the hot air balloon.
There was a “Chief Aeronaut” who was in charge of the balloons, and his name was Thaddeus Lowe. “Under Lowe, the aeronauts in the Balloon Corps made well over 3,000 balloon ascensions…the Balloon Corps was disbanded when the Union army returned to Washington DC…It [was] our nation’s first Air Force” (Green). The hot air balloons provided a huge advantage because they not only gave the Union army an aerial view of the battlefield, but they also caused the Confederates to expend precious energy plotting ways to avoid being seen by the balloon. Think about what the Confederate army experienced! Their enemy was suddenly floating high enough to be out of gunshot range and was omnisciently watching over their every move. The effect must have been something totally unexpected from the South. Hot air balloons can be considered the precursors to our modern-day Air Force. They gave the Union army a considerable advantage over the Confederates because: “In a balloon tethered to the ground with a telegraph line, Lowe was able to give real-time updates on troop movements, and once even directed Union artillery fire from the sky” (Andrews).
These two tools of technology became effective tools of warfare. Lincoln’s ability to interact virtually instantly with his generals was something that had never been experienced in the entire history of warfare (Wheeler). It was because of the telegraph that Lincoln was able to direct the Union army to victory. The use of the hot air balloons, along with Lowe’s accurate reporting complemented the telegraph. Never before, in all of the history of wars and battles, had generals been able to communicate with a commander in chief. It is the unification of the Union army is what ultimately lead to their victory over the Confederates. This unification was made possible with the strategic use of both hot air balloons and the telegraph. Technology truly changed the way wars were fought. Although the civil war technology might seem outdated to us, it was a huge first step towards the everyday technology of our modern lives.
- Andrews, Evan. “8 Unusual Civil War Weapons.” History.com, 09 Apr. 2013, http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/8-unusual-civil-war-weapons. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016.
- Evans, Morgan C. “The Rivalry of the Aeronauts: Civil War Balloon Reconnaissance.” Virginia Tech Essential Civil War Curriculum, 2016, http://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/the-rivalry-of-the-aeronauts-civil-war-balloon-reconnaissance.html. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016.
- Green, James. “Civil War Ballooning During the Seven Days Campaign.” Civil War Trust, 2014, http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-ballooning/ballooning-during-the-seven.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016.
- Hochfelder, David. “The Telegraph.” Virginia Tech Essential Civil War Curriculum, 2012, http://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/the-rivalry-of-the-aeronauts-civil-war-balloon-reconnaissance.html. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016.
- Wheeler, Tom. “How the Telegraph Helped Lincoln Win the Civil War.” History News Network, 19 Nov. 2006, http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/30860. Accessed 29 Nov. 2016.
