GDG- Thaddeus Lowe at Gettysburg?

James Cameron cameron2 at optonline.net
Sat Dec 16 09:57:50 CST 2006


I was looking through "Generals in Bronze", and came across an interview the artist James Kelly had with Thaddeus Lowe, in 1893.  During the interview, Lowe told Kelly that he had been one of the men who helped carry Hancock from the field after he had been wounded.

I've never read anyplace else that Lowe had remained with the Army after his balloon service was discontinued after Chancellorsville, especially since his balloons did not accompany the AOP on the march north.  According to Fishel's "The Secret War for the Union", Lowe had been in Washington, writing a report on the activities of the balloon service for Stanton, and drafting proposals for it's organization of the balloon service and his own role in it, but he makes no mention of Lowe having at returned to the army at some point during the campaign.  Hancock's report makes no mention of him, although this may simply reflect his limiting mention in his report to those actually part of the army.  

Lowe doesn't go into any great detail, as related by Kelly, but the impresion I got is that he would have attached himself to Hancock's headquarters, or, perhaps, was hanging around army headquarters.  I've never been a student of Lowe or the balloon service, though.  Does anybody have anything which would shed some light on his claim to have helped Hancock from the field?
 
Jim Cameron



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