From Robert Hope
Donations of fashionable items keep southern spirits afloat!
In supporting the southern war effort, it appears that our article regarding General Green donating Hardie hats to MIS has inspired the good ladies of General Green’s home town of Charleston, to also make donations to MIS - not their hats but their dresses !
As Q explained. “At first we were quite mystified, bemused and bewildered on how to put all these garments to good use. A genius nevertheless arose for the occasion (Odd Job) and suggested that we gather together all the silk frocks, stitch them together in strips and make an 'observation balloon'. Whilst this unorthodox construction material may look a little silly, this fabric does hold gas! In fact given our southern diet it’s been containing ladies gas for years !”.
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| Captain John Randolph Bryan's Flying Machine |
The first prototype attempt of flying this balloon with Captain John Randolph Bryan ended in near disaster. Luckily we did not have to give our “gondolences” to his wife. Our following attempts at flying this balloon with cold air didn’t really take off. We also found that unlike their northern counter parts, local southern politicians could not produce enough hot air. We subsequently established that by filling the balloon with ordinary illuminating gas from the Richmond Gas Works and varnishing the silk made a significant difference to the heights that can be achieved.
Imagine what it’s going to look like, a most fashionable item in the shape of a ladies dress, a silk dress balloon rising in the distance above a battlefield behind our lines.
What a sight to behold.
General Green
