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The answer to that question is yes. Not only were there camels in California, these camels were military camels. That's right. The United States had an official camel corps in the 1800s. Who knew?
Here's the story. As the United States continued its westward expansion past the Mississippi River, the terrain changed dramatically. This wasn't the woodlands of the eastern coast. Instead the land was a hot, dry desert. The people asked to survey this unfamiliar land struggled with getting around. In 1836, Army Lieutenant George H. Crossman proposed the idea of recruiting camels as an animal resource. Camels were used to hot, dry climates. They required little water, could carry a fair amount of weight, and could travel for miles on end. His idea didn't strike anyone's interest and stayed dormant for over ten years. Eventually, he climbed up the career chain and advanced to becoming a major. As Major Crossman his ideas were heard by more people. The camel idea proposal caught the ear of Senator Jefferson Davis in 1847. A few short years later, Davis found himself the Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce (and later became head of the Confederacy during the Civil War). Using his new position, he had $30,000 allocated for the “purchase and importation of camels and dromedaries to be employed for military purposes.” Although never given an official title, “the U.S. Camel Corps” had been born. |