Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-03
THE j. s. ARMY
CAMELS GONE
THE GOVERNMENT BROUGHT
THEM FROM AFRICA ABOUT
FIFTY YEARS AGO.


that some camels are roaming about in
the deserts of Arizona is discredited
by Captain tom" Fields of this place,
who is familiar with the experiment
made IN the fifties by the United
States government in transporting
army SUPPLIES through the southwest
by means of caravans of camels. Cap
tain Field says that most of these
camels, which were brought from At
RIGA, made their way back to the gulf
coast of Texas after being abandoned
at the army posts of Texas and Ari-
IONA. He thinks it improbable that
any should have survived and left their
progeny in Arizona.
This herd of camels was brought
to Texas from Egypt in 1857 by an
agent of the government" he said.
They We're landed at the port of
lndianola, where they We're kept sew
eral months to recuperate from the
effects of the ocean voyage.
supplies of every description for
all the territory lying west and north
of the Colorado to and including Aus
tin, to Santa Fe, N. NJ, and Chihua-
hua, Mexico, had to be hauled on Wag-
ons and carts by OK and mule teams,
except what was brought to Victoria
from Indianola by water on the steam
ers Katie Ward Lizzie Lake and Will,
liam Penn, plying the Guadalupe river
From San Antonio to Ell Paso and
on through Mexico there were many
stretches of 40 to 80 miles between
watering places, which made it diff
ficult to transport the supplies for the
troops stationed in that country, on
the border between Texas and Mex.
leo. Camels being noted for their long
travels over the plains and deserts
of the southern hemisphere, the gov.
eminent had conceived the idea of
camel transportation over the deserts
OF west Texas and New Mexico.
In due season every camel of the
$50 was fitted with pack saddle and
burdened according to it's ability, and
were placed under the control of Egyp
tians brought with the camels for that
purpose, and all under the command
of an officer of the army.
Camel Caravan Moves.
After remaining at Victoria a day
or SO to refit and readjust saddles and
packs, the caravan started for San An
tonic. Everything was lovely and
the goose hung high The first report
to the Washington government was ia
voravle, and the problem of transpor
tation seemed to have been solved
The news had gone ahead that the
camels were coming. and the soldiers
as well as the people of San Antonio
turned out en- masse to receive them
Here halt was made for few days
Tim the line of march was taken VI
for Ell Paso, their place of destina
ton. Everything moved along wei
at first, but finally the cold, chilly
winds of December began to trouble
the camels and it was necessary tt
supply each with a blanket to protec
it from the cold. The Egyptian:
themselves shook like leaves of thu
} forests and sighed for the Egytia1
cline. The rough rock road began tt
) tell on the feet of the camels, which
} are shaped like the foot of COW
} and have about as much protection OF
the bottom of the foot as a negro ha!
on his heel. 1t was soon found tina
the mat or pad was wearing to thu
quick and in some cases stone bruis
es had appeared.
Tried to Shoe the Burden Bearers.
"As to shOeing a divided foot with
out hOOf on it, that was the all alb
sorbing question. The best black
smiths were appealed to for remedy
Half shoes, whole shoes, and soil,
shoes were made. but all to no pun
pose: having no hoof to fasten then
to the blacksmiths gave up the job.
The butcher was the next mai
) applied to. but it required piece o
2 raw hide the size of the bottom of
chair and as there were $40 feet
2 hide did not go far. Rawhide shoe
were found best. but they wore ava
like SNOWFALL under a tropical sun
After two years the experiment
+ proved failure. The camels wer
5 condemned and turned loose in 1866
! at the forts where they had been lief
: when laid up for repairs. After OF
3 tanning their freedom camel instinc
told them that they had come iron
D the south or eastward. They grad
: ually turned their heads to the gul
: coast and during the civil war par
4 of them were rounded up on Hines
: bay. In 1876 some of the camels wer
q roaming in the eastern and southern
: portions of Refugio county.
e I'm the winter of 1876 saw JOhl
!, Sidick. now living near the mouth O
: the San Antonio river, mount one o
: them bareback, not even having a rop
8 around its neck. No sooner was h
| cyvtl do rnv