Chapter IV. Balloons Made Useful in Warfare.

Wars of the French Republic--Company of "Ballooneers"--
Battle of Fleurus--The Balloons of Egypt--Napoleon--Modern
Services War in Italy--War in America--Conclusion.

We will conclude our work with a glance at aerostation as applied to
warfare. Scarcely had the first ascents astonished the world, than the
more adventurous spirits began to use the new discovery for a thousand
purposes directly useful to man. The first point of view in which
aerostation was regarded, was in that of its practical utility If one
refers to the pre-occupations of the time--to the great events then
occurring in the history of France, one will easily understand that the
Committee of Public Safety soon thought of employing balloons in the
observation of the forces and the movements of hostile troops. In
1794, the idea was practically carried out, and the French armies were
provided with two companies of aeronauts. The command of one of these
companies was given to Captain Coutelle, a young physicist of great
talent, who rendered memorable services at the battle of Fleurus. The
balloons were not thrown free, but were retained attached by means
of long cords. In this way they took up, so to speak, aerial posts of
observation. Placed in his car, the captain transmitted his instructions
to his men below by means of coloured flags. Coutelle has left us a
lively narrative of certain incidents connected with one of the grand
days of the old Republic. He had been commissioned by the Committee of
Public Safety to go to Maubeuge, where Jourdan's army was encamped,
and to offer him the use of his balloon. The representative to whom the
young doctor presented his commission, knew nothing about balloons,
and not being able to understand the order of the Committee of Public
Safety, it suddenly dawned upon him that Coutelle, with his trumpery
forgery about balloons, was nothing else than a spy, and he was about to
have him shot. The genuineness of the order from the Committee, however,
was proved, and Coutelle's case was listened to.

"The army was at Beaumont," says Coutelle, "and the enemy, placed at a
distance of only three miles, could attack at any moment. The general
told me this fact, and engaged me to return and communicate it to the
Committee. This I did. The Commission then felt the necessity of making
an experiment with a balloon that could raise two persons, and the
minister placed at m