October 14 — Still on picket. This morning I saw a captive balloon anchored over the Yankee camp in the direction of Harper’s Ferry. Balloon reconnoitering seems to be a safe way of making observations of an enemy’s forces, movements, and encampments, and where the country is level and not too much wooded the information obtainable from such an elevated altitude is as valuable and correct, if not more so, than could be acquired by a regular reconnoissance on terra firma; and is accompanied with less trouble and danger. The balloon I saw this morning was about four miles from our post and looked to be about a thousand feet from the ground.
Three Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery — George Michael Neese.
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