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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. |
Using a specially outfitted ship, a camel recruiting expedition began in July 1855. Five months were spent acquiring camels from Tunis, Malta, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. After treacherous three month return across the Atlantic, thirty three animals and five native caretakers arrived in Texas. One of the camel caretakers, Hadji Ali came from his native Syria as a camel driver in the 1850s. |
The camels took residence at Camp Verde in Texas where they stayed basically ignored. A new President was in office and that had left the project abandoned. When Edward Fitzgerald Beale was assigned a surveying mission to explore New Mexico, Arizona, and California, he was also assigned twenty five camels. The Secretary of War, John Floyd, was determined to put those camels to good use.
Beale was not excited about having these camels as part of his crew but he had no choice. Thankfully, he was pleasantly surprised by the camels' endurance and skills. His expeditions were successful and Beale became a supporter of the camel crew. They accompanied him through the deserts of Arizona and California eventually reaching Ft. Tejon in California.
Beale was not excited about having these camels as part of his crew but he had no choice. Thankfully, he was pleasantly surprised by the camels' endurance and skills. His expeditions were successful and Beale became a supporter of the camel crew. They accompanied him through the deserts of Arizona and California eventually reaching Ft. Tejon in California.
After being in California for a bit, the California camels lived with Beale's partner, Samuel Bishop (Bishop, CA), for a few years before being returned to Ft. Tejon. There are reports that camels were used to transport mail and other materials to the different mining communities in Nevada, New Mexico, and California. The camels had great promise in the settlement of the West with plans for them to support the army as transportation for people and supplies.
However, the country's preoccupation with the Civil War caused that plan to be forgotten. The government decided to abandon the program. The California camels were sold at auction in 1864 to private citizens, zoos, and circuses. The camels at Camp Verde were captured by the Confederates in the Civil War.
The story of the camels doesn't necessarily end well. Many of the animals were considered a nuisance and abandoned. They were given to circuses or even made into food. Some camels were sent free into the desert of Arizona and California where they could be found (with their descendants) wandering around the wild throughout the late 1800s. Their presence made for some good campfire stories.
Evidence of the U.S. Army Camel Corps can still be found. One camel, Old Douglas, served for the Confederacy and died in the line of duty at the siege of Vicksburg. There is a gravestone in his honor nearby. Another camel, named Said, is credited to be Beale's favorite. When he died in 1861, his skeleton was sent to the National Museum of Natural History's Hall of Bones where it still is. Hadji Ali settled in Quartzsite, Arizona where he was know as Hi Jolly. He kept some of his camels and ran a transport business. His gravesite has also become a popular roadside attraction.
The story of the camels doesn't necessarily end well. Many of the animals were considered a nuisance and abandoned. They were given to circuses or even made into food. Some camels were sent free into the desert of Arizona and California where they could be found (with their descendants) wandering around the wild throughout the late 1800s. Their presence made for some good campfire stories.
Evidence of the U.S. Army Camel Corps can still be found. One camel, Old Douglas, served for the Confederacy and died in the line of duty at the siege of Vicksburg. There is a gravestone in his honor nearby. Another camel, named Said, is credited to be Beale's favorite. When he died in 1861, his skeleton was sent to the National Museum of Natural History's Hall of Bones where it still is. Hadji Ali settled in Quartzsite, Arizona where he was know as Hi Jolly. He kept some of his camels and ran a transport business. His gravesite has also become a popular roadside attraction.
If you find the camel story interesting, there are many many versions of it that I can refer you to. The Smithsonian and New York Times have published articles as well as a few university libraries. There are even journals from the 1900s that tell the tale and a book by Forrest Bryant Johnson called, The Last Camel Charge: The Untold Story of America's Desert Military Experiment.