Historical Marker - Rural Shade

Civil War Aeronaut
Brevet 1 Lt. A. E. Morse entered as a private in the CSA on Aug 1, 1861 at Savannah, GA into Capt. Wheaton's Co. (Chatham Artillery) serving in the illustrious Artillery unit until he received special duty orders. This is when he received his own famous status. He became one of three officers of the Confederacy that soared in the Southern skies for Confederate States air reconnaissance. He, his captain, C. Cevors, and six other able bodied Confederate veterans became the crew for the illustrious "new multi-colored vertically striped Savannah balloon, the Gazelle". After numerous ascensions in and around Richmond, Virginia in 1862, the balloon was captured and the Union officers cut the prized Gazelle into little pieces and sent them to each member of their Congress. (Two of the silk trophies are preserved at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum) Cevor and Morse built their second balloon for Confederate States service and made numerous military observation ascents defending the Charleston Harbor area into late summer of 1863. Morse is considered the last military balloonist to ascend the skies during the War for Southern Independence. After the special duty was over he went back to his original unit of Cheatham's Artillery and served until their surrender, April 14, 1865. Morse and his family moved to Navarro County Texas where he farmed until the death of his wife. After some time, he moved into the home of his son in Waxahachie, Texas where he lived out the rest of his life. They brought him back to Corsicana to be buried in the family plot.

Marker Located in the Oakwood Cemetery (This marker may have been replaced with the one in the link below)

Notes:

Last Confederate Airman and Historical Marker