The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-03
Camel Cavalry, Used by Army
to Cross Deserts, Now Memory

WASHINGTON, Nov 3-The skele-
ton of camel which stands in a case
at the National Museum here consti-
tutes the sole relic of two shiplOads
of camels brought from the Far East
in the "fifties" while Jefferson Davis
was Secretary of War in an effort to
solve the problem of transporting mill
tary supplies between the Mississippi
River and the posts scattered across
the western deserts.
Hostility of native mule drivers to
the "ships of the desert" and the be-
ginning of the Civil War are assigned
by government authorities as the rea-
sons for the failure of the effort to
utilize camels as burden carriers over
the western plains.
DR.. Charles G.. Carroll Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture has written an
official history OF the importation of
camels. He says the idea of trans
planting the beasts to America origin
ated with the Spanish after the con-
quest of South America and toward
the end of the 18th century they were
introduced into Peru. The camels
were not looked upon with favor by
the ruling officials, however, and they
dwindleAl away. Some camels also
were transported to Virginia from
Guinea in 1901, but there is no au-
thentic record of the enterprise except
! that it failed.
Transportation troubles during the
| stubborn Indian war in Florida caused
Major George H. Crosman to advocate
| the use of the desert beasts for mill
| tary purposes, but nothing came of the
! plan.
! Some years later Major Henry G.
| Wayne suggested to the War Depart
ment and to members of congress a
plan for government importation. His
| ideas were endorsed by Jefferson Da
| Wis, then chairman of the Senate Mill
| tary committee, and after Mr. Davis
| became Secretary of War under Presi
dent Pierce he pressed the project
Finally, in December, 1854, congress
! approved an amendment by Senator
| Shiels of Illinois to the annual army
appropriation bill providing $4,000
| ito be expended under the direction OF
the War department in the purchase
and importation of camels and drome
diaries to be employed for military
| purposes"
| Secretary Davis at once sent Major
Wayne to the Levant to round up the
| IdlutiS, >luo secretary OF tne navy plac
ing at the disposal of Mr. Davis the
I storeship supply, with her crew, under
the command of 1t. David H. Porter
(afterward Admiral Porter). 1t was
ordered that the ship land at a Texas
port, as it was supposed the climate
there would more resemble that of the
Far East
Major Wayne and 1t. Porter bought
their first animal in Tunis, in August
and upon applying for a permit tc
bring the camel away the Bey OF
Tunis presented to the United States
two other animals, one of which finally
became the veteran of the American
herd.
The ship then went to Constantine
pie, where the officers declined ar
offer of the Sultan of Turkey to pre-
sent four camels to the United States
because it was found the animals
would have to be brought from Asia
and the officers did not want to wal
for them. The supply went from Con
stantinople to Alexandria, Egypt
where it was proposed to purchase ter
dromedaries and 80 camels, but rec
tape so disguised the Americans thai
they loaded three dromedaries anc
made ready to sail. Before leaving
however, they secured six fairly gooc
beasts. The ship sailed with nine
dromedaries and the camel presented
by the Bey in TURNS, the two others
obtained in TURNS having been solo
to Turkish butcher for $44 after they
were found to have signs of itch.
! Gywn H. Heap was sent on aheat