The new year saw two smaller balloons added to the force, now totalling seven: 'Union', 'Intrepid', 'Constitution', 'Washington', 'United States', 'Eagle' and 'Excelsior'. Lowe's corps now included Paullin; James Allen, the first balloonist with the Union forces and his brother, Ezra; John B. Starkweather; John H. Steiner (who was to write from his remote station with the Army of the Mississippi: "...the officers here are as dumb as a set of asses ... no one seems to know any thing about this thing... "); Ebenezer Seaver; John R. Dickinson; and Jacob C. Freno, who turned out to be a thoroughly unsavory character, a gambler on the side, and—when dismissed—a saboteur.

Lowe had all the balloons and La Mountain was fuming. His own 'Atlantic' was aging and too small; his larger 'Saratoga' had broken loose and disappeared on a southern heading. Two of Lowe's balloons were stored in Washington, and La Mountain decided to ask for one to be released to him. Unfortunately, he accompanied his request with a denunciation of Lowe. It took three months of angry exchanges before Lowe was able to counter La Mountain's charges successfully. On 19 February 1862, orders came from General McClellan discharging La Mountain.