The Little-Known Role of Camels in American History
Learn how the U.S. Army once experimented with camels in the arid West.
In the mid-19th century, the United States was a young nation rapidly expanding westward, facing the daunting task of transporting supplies across the vast and rugged deserts of the Southwest. It was during this period that an unusual experiment took place, one that is now largely forgotten: the U.S. Army’s Camel Corps. This initiative involved importing camels to be used as pack animals, an idea that was both innovative and briefly successful, yet eventually abandoned and obscured by the sands of time.
The origin of the Camel Corps can be traced back to 1855 when then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis (who would later become the President of the Confederate States during the Civil War) was seeking solutions for transportation issues in the newly acquired territories of the American Southwest. In these arid regions, traditional pack animals such as horses and mules struggled with the harsh conditions, including scant water supplies and rough terrain.
Inspired by the successful use of camels by other nations in similar desert climates, Davis convinced Congress to allocate $30,000 to import camels for military purposes. This led to the U.S. Navy dispatching the USS Supply, under the command of Lieutenant David Dixon Porter, on a mission to the Middle East to acquire these animals. The ship made two voyages and successfully imported a total of about 75 camels.
Upon their arrival in Texas in 1856, the camels were put to work carrying supplies and mail across the great deserts of the Southwest to remote outposts. The animals, capable of carrying much larger loads than horses and needing far less water, quickly proved their worth. Their impressive ability to traverse rugged landscapes with ease made them invaluable during expeditions. One such famous survey, led by Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, mapped out a route along the 35th parallel from Fort Defiance to the Colorado River. Beale praised the camels for their endurance and resilience, noting their ability to travel without water and subsist on sparse vegetation.
However, despite their success, the camels faced significant challenges. The Camel Corps never expanded beyond a few dozen animals, and the onset of the Civil War shifted national priorities and resources elsewhere. Moreover, the camels themselves proved to be temperamental and sometimes difficult to manage, which did not endear them to their handlers. U.S. soldiers and other animals, accustomed to horses and mules, were often unsettled by the camels’ unusual appearance and characteristic smell.
By the time the Civil War ended, interest in the Camel Corps had waned significantly. The surviving camels were sold at auction, and some were left to roam the deserts, where they reportedly survived for several decades as feral animals. Others found their way to circuses and zoos, or were employed by private enterprises for various purposes.
One peculiar footnote in the story of America’s Camel Corps is that of “Hi Jolly” (born Hadji Ali), a Syrian cameleer who was hired by the Army to manage the camels. After the project was discontinued, Ali was discharged but chose to stay in Arizona. He became a local legend and when he died in 1902, a monument was erected in his honor in Quartzsite, Arizona, featuring a pyramid topped with a camel statue.
Today, the experiment of the U.S. Camel Corps remains a little-known chapter of American history. It serves as a fascinating reflection of a time when the United States was experimenting with all possible means to conquer its new and challenging territories. Though brief and ultimately deemed impractical for long-term military use, the Camel Corps experiment highlights how innovation and adaptability have always been part of the American spirit in facing the demands of new frontiers.###END###
