By Suzanne Norquist
Everyone who studies United States history knows that the army used horses and mules to transport personnel and cargo. This worked well in the East, where water and vegetation were abundant.
In
1848, the United States acquired a massive swath of desert when they signed the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This included the area of California, Nevada, and most
of Utah and Arizona, as well as parts of New Mexico and Colorado.
A few military leaders proposed using “Ships of the Desert”—camels—in this arid region. Middle-Eastern and even European militaries used the beasts for this purpose. Why not the United States?
Senator
Jefferson Davis, who became the Secretary of War in 1853, finally convinced the
military to acquire a few camels to see how they performed.
Purchasing the camels proved to be a significant undertaking. The voyage through the Middle East took over a year, during which thirty-three animals were purchased, including saddles and gear, and five camel drivers were hired. Ships for the return trip required special decks to carry the large beasts. A second group of forty-one camels followed the first.
The
camels and their handlers were stationed at Camp Verde, Texas. The military
cared for the animals and set up some competitions between them and mules. As
expected, camels could carry more than double and go for long stretches without
water. They ate vegetation that other animals refused.
However, they frightened horses, spit on people they didn’t like, and could be more stubborn than a mule. Most military men didn’t want to work with camels.
Only
one major operation included them, and it was considered experimental. In 1857,
Edward Fitzgerald Beale led an expedition to survey a road through the desert
from Texas to California—a southern alternative to the Oregon Trail. As part of
his contract, he was required to take twenty-five camels. He reported that they
performed better than the mules. In fact, he recommended purchasing more.
Other shorter treks supported this recommendation.
Even
with the positive reports, the camel corps didn’t survive long after the start
of the Civil War. Camp Verde was occupied by the Confederate Army for most of
the war, and they didn’t value the animals. After the war, Confederate
President Jefferson Davis’s association with the camels didn’t help the cause.
Trains
soon crisscrossed the country, eliminating the need for these sturdy pack
animals. The camels were sold to circuses, transportation outfits, and
individuals. The Overland Mail Company purchased the beasts to carry mail from
Omaha to Sacramento.
Some
ended up as feral camels, with reported sightings throughout the southwestern
United States for many years.
Perhaps
if camels had been introduced sooner, or if the president of the Confederacy
hadn’t been the person responsible for their use, the awkward-looking beasts
would be as common as horses.
Or
not.
***
”Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection
Four
historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.
Mending
Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist
Rockledge,
Colorado, 1884
Sarah
seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her
dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her
customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects
her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through
other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?
Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.
Thanks for posting today. I'm not sure I have heard about this experiment before.
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