In the mid-19th century, the United States Army embarked on an unusual venture to introduce camels as transportation for the Army and other military purposes. Initiated by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, the Camel Corps aimed to address the challenges of desert warfare and supply transport in the expanding southwestern regions of the country. Despite initial promises and successful expeditions, the Camel Corps was disbanded and failed to gain widespread acceptance.
Origins and Initial Challenges of the Camel Corps
The mid-19th century brought significant developments, including the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which added vast desert lands to the territory of the United States. At this time, gold was discovered in California, which led to the California Gold Rush and an influx of settlers to the desert regions of Arizona and California. The U.S. Army was tasked with exploring the new territory, supplying the scattered outposts, and maintaining peace between the settlers and the region’s Native Americans. The arid southwest deserts posed considerable challenges for the cavalry horses and supply mules. Their range and travel speed were limited by access to water, and they were further burdened by carrying feed and water for the animals.
The Expedition to Acquire Camels
The use of camel corps in other countries for desert warfare significantly influenced the decision to try it in the United States. Historical examples from countries like Egypt and the Sudan demonstrated the effectiveness of camels as a means of transportation and combat in arid and desert regions. The successful deployment of camel-mounted troops by these nations showcased the camels’ ability to traverse long distances, carry heavy loads, and navigate challenging terrains. These experiences garnered attention and interest among military strategists and explorers in the United States, who recognized the potential advantages of camels in the vast, arid landscapes of the American Southwest. The knowledge and inspiration drawn from these international examples played a pivotal role in the decision to import and establish the U.S. Camel Corps, with hopes of improving transportation and logistical capabilities in the country’s own desert frontier.
Recognizing the difficulties of desert warfare faced during the Mexican-American War, Major Wayne proposed camels for desert cargo transport to Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. In May 1855, Davis secured $30,000 to acquire and test a small herd of camels. He issued the appropriation order to Major Wayne. Lieutenant David Dixon Porter, a Naval officer familiar with camels from his upbringing in the Middle East, was tasked with transporting the camels to the United States.
Before starting their journey to purchase camels, Lieutenant Porter built a specialized camel barn on the USS Supply. It featured stalls and a special air vent system using wind from the sails to enter the stalls and exit the port holes. The airflow system ensured the camels’ comfort and well-being during the arduous voyage. They also built a harness system in the stalls to support the camels during rough weather.
Upon returning to America on February 1856, 33 camels (19 females and 14 males) were brought back from various countries and of different breeds. According to Wikipedia, the herd consisted of 29 dromedaries, a dromedary calf, two Bactrian camels, and a booghdee (a cross between a Bactrian and a dromedary). They purchased pack saddles and other equipment and hired five camel drivers during their trip. Shortly after their return, Lieutenant Porter and the USS Supply received orders to return overseas to purchase more camels.
U.S. Army Camel Driver – Hi Jolly (Hadji Ali aka Philip Tedro)
During Porter’s second camel-buying expedition, the U.S. Army hired Hi Jolly (Hadji Ali, later called Philip Tedro) as the lead camel driver for the U.S. Army. He was one of nine men employed in 1856-57 to help train and work with the camels in their new role of transporting cargo across the American desert. Having formerly worked as a camel breeder and trainer, Hi Jolly was a valuable asset to the U.S. Camel Corps. A total of 41 camels were imported during the second expedition. Five of the original camel herd had died, leaving the Army with 70 camels.
Trials and Tribulations of the Camel Corps
The Army established its camel station at Camp Verde, Texas. The intended purposes of the Camel Corps were to transport supplies between forts in the desert region and to utilize the camels in combat. However, it soon became apparent that the camels were ill-suited for American-style combat due to their anatomical limitations, such as their specialized noses designed for blowing out sand, which hindered their breathing during intense exertion.
Furthermore, the men serving in the Camel Corps found it challenging to bond with the camels and ultimately didn’t accept them. The animals required extensive care, were prone to contracting mange, had an unpleasant odor, and frightened horses and mules. They exhibited stubborn behavior and occasionally delivered a vicious bite when mishandled. Despite these difficulties, the supply transport units discovered that camels were adept at carrying heavy loads, exceeding the capabilities of mules. Major Wayne also proved that camels were faster at transport than wagons, showcasing their ability to traverse the desert efficiently.
Beale’s Wagon Road and The Camel Experiment
In 1857, President James Buchanan appointed former Navy Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale to undertake a significant surveying and construction project—a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) wagon road stretching from Fort Defiance, Arizona, to the Colorado River, which marked the border between Arizona and California.
Although transferred away from the Camel Corps, Major Wayne recommended a larger-scale trial of the camels. Beal, recognizing the camel’s potential, agreed to take 25 camels for cargo transport with his expedition, which began in 1857. Along with the camels were 46 mules and 250 sheep (for delivery to Fort Defiance).
Leading the camel caravan was Hi Jolly, who served as Beale’s primary camel driver. The camels proved to be exceptional assets, capable of traveling for days without water and carrying significantly heavier loads than mules. Furthermore, they could subsist on forage that mules would typically reject. They grazed on creosote and other native desert shrubs.
During the expedition, the camels impressed Beale and his team with their ability to navigate rough terrains without faltering. The camels exhibited their remarkable ability to travel long distances without water, demonstrating their suitability for desert environments.
In October 1857, Beale reached the Colorado River with his caravan of camels. Following the successful expedition, Beale’s report highlighted the camels’ utility, leading to an order for an additional 1,000 camels. However, due to other pressing matters and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the order was never fulfilled.
Beale used the following language in his official dispatches to describe his experience with the camels:
“The camels have played an important part in all our operations. Without the aid of this noble and useful brute, many hardships which we have been spared would have failed our lot, and our admiration for them has increased day by day as some new hardship which we endured more particularly and more fully developed their entire adaptation and usefulness in the exploration of the wilderness.”
“I have sometimes thought it impossible that they could stand the test to which they have been subjected. Still, they seem to have risen equal to every trial and come off every exploration with as much strength as when they started. Unsupported by the testimony of every man of my party, I should be unwilling to state all I have seen them do. Beginning with the full determination that the experiment should be no halfway, I have subjected them to trials that no other animal could have endured. Yet, I have arrived here, not only without the loss of a single camel but they are admitted by those who saw them in Texas to be in as good condition today as when they left San Antonio.”
“In all our lateral expeditions, they have carried water sometimes for more than a week – themselves never receiving even a bucket full. They have traversed patiently with heavy packs on these explorations, covered with the sharpest volcanic rock. Yet, their feet to this hour have shown no symptoms of tenderness or injury. With heavy packs, they have crossed mountains, ascended, and descended precipitous places, where an unloaded mule found it difficult to pass, even with the rider’s assistance. I think it would be within bounds to say that in these various lateral explorations, they have traversed nearly double the distance passed by our mules and wagons.”
In crossing the small streams found in such abundance in the Western and Pacific territories, Lieut. Beale says “the camel swims more easily and stronger than a horse or mule. The experiment with the camels may therefore be considered successful to the highest degree.” (The Times-Picayune, January 05th, 1858)
Reconnaissance Expeditions with the Camel Corps
From 1858 – 1860, Camel Corps were used in several reconnaissance expeditions. After each mission, it was reported that the camels outperformed the mules. Their ability to survive without water for extended periods while carrying heavy loads made them indispensable in the desert environment.
In another dispatch to the War Department, Beale, after describing his journey through the new Government Road from Fort Tejon to Colorado River during the winter, said this about the camels:
“In a previous letter, I informed you that I had sent the camels back to Fort Tejon from the Colorado River in the charge of my clerk so that they might be used in the campaign against Utah. I parted with these noble brutes with much regret. A year of hard and almost unremitting labor with them had attached us all to them with feelings stronger, I think, than anyone experiences for either the horse or the dog. It is hoped that the Government will continue importing this valuable animal until sufficient numbers have been obtained for the whole Army. It is cheaper at first cost, lives longer, and is infinitely stronger and hardier than the mule. At the same time, its work capacity is four times greater. I regard it as invaluable for military purposes in a country where forage is difficult to obtain.” (The Daily Exchange May 20th, 1958)
The Demise of the Camel Corps
The herd of camels was split into two groups, with a larger portion of the camels stationed at Camp Verde, Texas, and a smaller group located in California at Fort Tejon. The Confederacy captured Camp Verde in 1861, and the camels fell under their control. Confederate troops employed them to carry loads. Still, the men did not form a connection with the animals, resulting in cases of abuse and mistreatment. After the war, the U.S. government reacquired the camels and sold them at auction.
The camels stationed in California were primarily utilized for transporting mail and other loads in the region. However, the troops stationed at Fort Tejon encountered difficulties with the camels’ odor, temperament, and perceived lack of usefulness. As a result, they were sold at auction in California, with circus owners, prospectors, and ranchers purchasing most of the camels.
In another letter written by Beale in El Paso on July 24th, 1857, he recommends specific handlers for the camels:
“If the Department intends to import them further after this experiment has been more fully tested, I strongly recommend a new saddle be prepared for them to replace the clumsy contrivance. I also recommend that a corps of Mexicans be employed to herd and use them. Americans of the class who seek such employment are unfit for it, being, for the most part harsh, cruel, and impatient with the animals entrusted to their care. The Greeks and Turks with us know no more about camels than any American in New York knows of buffalo. The animal is used in their own country, but they know nothing about it. My only object in employing them at the high rate they are paid was that they, knowing the harmless character of the camel, would give confidence to the others employed in the management of an animal which, with all its gentleness, has a most ferocious looking set of teeth, which it displays with a roar rivaling that of the royal Bengal tiger.”
In retrospect, the U.S. Army Camel Corps represents a fascinating but ultimately unsuccessful experiment in military transportation. Despite the initial promise shown during expeditions and their superior load-carrying capabilities, the camels failed to gain acceptance from soldiers, officers, and the general public. The lack of a comprehensive public relations program to inform and educate the masses significantly affected their downfall. Moreover, the need for the Camel Corps diminished with improved train transportation after the Civil War, leading to its disbandment.
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