Thaddeus Sobieski Coulincourt Lowe (August 20, 1832 – January 16, 1913) – otherwise known as Professor Lowe – uses his flying balloon to spy on Confederate camps near Fairfax, Virginia. Union calvarymen are dispatched to locate the Confederates, but come up empty-handed. Lowe is a pioneering aeronaut, scientist and inventor. In July U.S. President Abraham…