 By early 1863, Lowe had grown tired of dealing with military minutia and left the Corps, returning to civilian research.The Balloon Corps fell to the command of less-capable individuals and was eventually eliminated in August 1863.Due to Fort Corcoran's large size and proximity to Georgetown, duty as part of the fort's garrison was less of a hardship than it was at many of the more isolated forts in the defenses of Washington, such as Fort Greble.