The Day General Porter Gets Lost in a Balloon

160 years ago today, on April 11 1862, one of the most famous balloon accidents of the American Civil War took place near Yorktown, Virginia. Both the Union and Confederate armies employed balloons on the peninsula--a relatively novel military technology at the time. Today, General Fitz John Porter climbs aboard a balloon to observe rebel defenses and gets a bit more adventure than he bargained for.... Today’s video is part of an ongoing “On to Richmond“ series, where we follow the progress of George McClellan’s campaign up the Virginia peninsula to the gates of Richmond, 160 years later. Subscribe to the channel and join the march! Stay up to date with battlefield news by following our friends at Richmond National Battlefield Park on YouTube, Facebook, and on their website