idea of an air war. Lowe's demonstration of flying a balloon over Washington, DC, and transmitting a telegraph message to the ground was enough to have him introduced to the commanders of the topographical engineers; initially it was thought balloons could be used for preparing better maps. Lowe's first action was a free flight observation of the Confederate positions at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. Lowe was called to Fort Corcoran and ascended in order to spot rebel encampments. With flag signals he directed artillery fire on the rebels. Lowe and other balloonists formed the Union Army Balloon Corps. Lowe insisted on the strict use of tethered (as opposed to free) flight because of concern about being shot down over enemy lines and punished as spies. By attaining altitudes from to as much as 3½ miles, an expansive view of the battle field and beyond could be had. As the Confederates retreated, the war turned into the Peninsular Campaign. Due to the heavy forests on the peninsula, the balloons were unable to follow on land so a coal barge was converted to operate the balloons. The balloons and their gas generators were loaded aboard and taken down the Potomac, where reconnaissance of the peninsula could continue. At the Battle of Fair Oaks, Lowe was able to view the enemy army advancing and sent a dispatch to have reserves sent. The balloon corps was later assigned to the engineers corps. By August 1863, the Union Army Balloon Corps was disbanded. Confederate Army The Confederate Army also made use of balloons, but they were gravely hampered by lack of supplies due to embargoes. They were forced to fashion their balloons from colored silk dress-making material, and their use was limited by the infrequent supply of gas in Richmond, Virginia. By the summer of 1863, all balloon reconnaissance of the American Civil War had ceased. Before World War I The Declaration Prohibiting the Discharge of Projectiles and Explosives from Balloons, part of the 1907 Hague Convention ratified by the United States, Great Britain and China, outlawed aircraft ordnance and aerial bombing. The United States Navy showed interest in naval aviation from the turn of the 20th century. In August 1910 Jacob Earl Fickel conducted his first experiments with Glenn Curtiss - shooting a gun from an airplane. In 1910–1911 the Navy conducted experiments which proved the practicality of carrier-based