U.S. Army Camel Corps Historical Marker

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This historical marker commemorates the short-lived U.S. Army Camel Corps that was established in 1855. Proponents thought camels would be perfectly suited to help the military explore the Southwest given the region's hot, dry climate. The first camels in the U.S. were sent to Camp Verde in 1856. They were led on many training expeditions, some of which passed through Del Rio and camped here in this park. Although the camels performed well, the Civil War put an end to the corps. The marker is located on the eastern side of the San Felipe Creek in Moore Park.

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The U.S. Army Camel Corps Historical Marker is located on Moore Park. Camel expeditions stopped and camped here beginning in 1857.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Using camels for military purposes was the idea of Major General George H. Crosman, who conducted a study and presented his findings in 1836. Then in 1848, another officer, Major Henry C. Wayne, studied the issue further and received support from U.S. Senator (and later Confederate President) Jefferson Davis. Davis became Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce in 1853 and officially established the Camel Corps in 1855 when he received funds for the experiment from Congress. As alluded to above, Davis and others thought that camels would be useful in transporting supplies to military outposts and thereby support westward expansion.

On May 14, 1846, a shipment of 34 camels, along with five Turkish and Arabian handlers, arrived on the Texas Gulf Coast. They were transported to Camp Verde, which was located 150 miles to the northeast and became the corps headquarters. More camels were acquired in 1857. Initially the camels hauled supplies to San Antonio. In 1857 several camels were sent to California, arriving in Los Angeles after a journey of 1,200 miles. They averaged about 25 miles per day. Those that remained at Camp Verde hauled supplies to outposts in the immediate region.

By 1860, the mule lobby was putting a lot of pressure on Congress to end the camel experiment. As a result, Congress didn't buy more camels in the late 1850s.

After the Civil War began in 1861 camels continued to be used to transport supplies but their performance was mixed. When Confederates seized Camp Verde they released the animals to graze but some wandered away. In the coming years, some were found in Texas, Arkansas, and even Mexico. They continued to be found during the next several decades including in Arizona in 1891. One camel, named "Old Douglas," was used by a company of the Mississippi 43rd Infantry at the Second Battle of Corinth, 1862 and was reportedly shot and killed at the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863. That year, the camel experiment officially ended when the camels in California were put up for auction. Those that remained at Camp Verde were auctioned off the next year. Feral camels continued to be spotted in the Southwest up until the early 20th century.

Sources

Heller, Chris. "Whatever Happened to the Wild Camels of the American West?" Smithsonian Magazine. August 6, 2015. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whatever-happened-wild-camels-american-west-180956176.

McDaniel, Mattew. "Before the Civil War, US Camel Corps explored the Southwest." GoSanAngelo. March 15, 2020. https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2020/03/15/before-civil-war-us-camel-corps-explored-southwest/5041396002.

"U.S. Army Camel Corps." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed October 5, 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=36889.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

The Historical Marker Database

Additional Information

Heller, Chris. "Whatever Happened to the Wild Camels of the American West?" Smithsonian Magazine.