Military Balloons
- Provided the first available method of elevating humans well over the battlefield to obtain the proverbial "birds-eye view."
- Were first used for amusement purposes then used for military purposes
- Both the Union and Confederate used Military Balloons.
- First used for map making then used for intelligence.
- First used in the 18th century in France.
Naval Mines
- Is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines.
- There are two types of mines: Contact mines & Limpet mines.
- Contact mines need to be touched by the target before they detonate, Limpet mines are a special form of contact mine that are manually attached to the target by magnets and left.
- First used in the 14th century in China.
Torpedoes
- They were often found floating on the surface of the water or tethered to float just below.
- Both Confederate and Union sides used torpedoes
- Torpedoes during the time period were also created to detonate electronically to allow safe passage of non-warships.