Overview of Texas camel experiment

Edited by Jim Fish

The following is from "When Camels Roamed Over Texas," by R. C. Crane, as it appeared in Dallas Semi-Weekly News on Aug. 1, 1926:

"At the close of the Mexican war, there was not a mile of railroad west of the Mississippi River.

"As a result of the annexation of Texas and the settlement of peace with Mexico, about one-third of the present area of our continental United States was added to our territory, and it thereupon became necessary for the United States to establish forts all over that region located west of Louisiana.

"With the establishment of forts at strategic points over the West, the problem of transportation of army supplies became acute, and the question of the cost of transportation became a serious one to the quartermaster's department.

"The army tried out experiments to solve this transportation question between the use of mule trains and ox trains, between the contract system and of having the Government own the wagons and mules or oxen and having its teamsters do the hauling. Since Indians lived in the new region, it was necessary to send guards of soldiers with every supply train whether it was being run by the Government or contractors.

"The cost of sending supplies in a roundabout way from Fort Smith, Arkansas, where they could be landed by boat up the Arkansas River, out by the old Santa Fe Trail to Fort Bliss, at El Paso, was tried out in a cost competition with sending out supplies to the same point from old Indianola, then about the most important port on the Texas coast.

"It was found that oxen were preferable over mules for this work because they could sustain themselves on the grasses over which they passed. The mules could not always do this. As to coat, the difference was not great between the contract system and the Government trains or between getting the supplies out of Fort Smith or Indianola to Fort Bliss.

"But even when the supplies were delivered to the forts over' the unsettled West, it frequently became necessary for the soldiers to make quick, sharp drives against marauding Indians or redskins on the warpath. Cavalry horses could not sustain themselves long on the vegetation that could be relied on. Here again, the problem of transporting supplies has become acute. This was when Jefferson Davis became Secretary of War in 1853 under President Pierce.

"Jefferson Davis had seen active service in Mexico during the Mexican War and was familiar with the conditions and the topography of the Southwestern section of our country, including Texas, in which the Indian question was most troublesome, and this transportation of army supplies came up to him to be grappled with.

"He studied the camel and his nature, and the sections of the country in which the camel was the burden bearer and the transportation system, and he concluded that there were vast sections of the country in Texas, New Mexico. Arizona and other regions of the United States are so similar in climate, topography, and other characteristics to those regions where the camel thrived that the camel was worth trying. He took the question to Congress with a strong recommendation for an appropriation sufficient to send to Egypt and buy and transport to Texas camels enough to try out the question of their availability.

"Congress was convinced by the reasoning of the Secretary of War, passed the appropriation, and the camels were sent for. They were brought to Texas in 1855 with their native caretakers and, landing at old Indianola, were taken to Camp Verde, about sixty miles northwest of San Antonio. They established a permanent headquarters, which at once took on the appearance of an Asian settlement.

"There were thirty-four in this first shipment, but two died. Thus, thirty-two were landed safely and carried into camp.

"Much time was required for their recovery from the long sea voyage from Egypt and, according to the report of the Secretary of' War for 1856, up to that time, little use had been made of them in the transportation of supplies. However, he reported that on one occasion, a train, consisting of wagons and camels, was sent from Camp Verde to San Antonio over a road not worse than those usually found on the frontier. The result was that the quantity of supplies brought back by six camels (3,648 pounds) was equal to the loads of two wagons each -drawn by six mules. The time occupied by the camels was two days and six hours, and that consumed by the wagons drawn by the mules your days and thirty minutes."