John Wise (1)

John Wise (24 February 1808 - 28 September 1879?) was one of America's pioneering aeronauts. He made his first ascent in Philadelphia on 2 May 1835 and made the first airmail delivery on 17 August 1859. During the Mexican-American War of 1846-48, Wise proposed the use of balloons in warfare in order to help win the battle for Veracuz through aerial bombardment of the castle San Juan de Ulúa. He published his ideas in an article titled, "Easy Method of Capturing the Castle of Vera Cruz." Following the Mexican-American War, Wise unsuccessfully tried to organize a transatlantic balloon crossing. Later, during the early Civil War, Wise was one of the aeronauts who sought to use balloons for the Union Army. This facsimile volume faithfully reprints his 1850 manual for aeronautical flight.… (més)