1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: a show that gives a quick look it's something that 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: happened a long time ago. Today I'm Gay Bluesier, and 5 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: in this episode we're talking about an unusual military project 6 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: from just before the American Civil War, a plan to 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: import camels and put them to work in the U. S. Army. 8 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: The day was March three, eighteen. The U. S. Army 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: received funding for what later became known as the Camel Corps, 10 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: a program that tested the utility of camels in the 11 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: country's southwestern territories. Other militaries have a long history treat 12 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: of using camels to carry supplies and conduct operations, but 13 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: in the mid nineteenth century the animals were largely unknown 14 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: in the United States. The first person to suggest importing 15 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: camels for military use was Colonel George H. Krasman. In 16 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: the eighteen thirties. He proposed using camels as pack animals 17 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: for troops fighting against the Seminole tribe in Florida. The 18 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: idea was briefly considered by army officials, but ultimately didn't happen. 19 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: The military got along just fine without camels for the 20 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: next decade or so, but after the Mexican American War 21 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: in the mid eighteen forties, importing camels became a practical necessity. 22 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: The US had acquired a large amount of new territory 23 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: following its victory, including vast expanses of unexplored desert in 24 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: the southwest. The terrain in those arid regions was much 25 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: different from what they were used to on the East coast. 26 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: There also weren't many roads in the Southwest, and there 27 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: were much fewer places to feed and water pack animals 28 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: like horses, mules, and oxen. In order to establish forts 29 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: and continue the nation's westward expansion, the army needed a 30 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: reliable way to navigate the harsher landscape. The camel was 31 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: an obvious solution. They were renowned for their endurance, and 32 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: they had recently been used to good effect by both 33 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: the French and Russian armies during the Crimean War. In 34 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: the eighteen fifties. The biggest advocate for importing camels was 35 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: none other than Jefferson Davis, the future president of the 36 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: short lived Confederate States of America at the time, though 37 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: he was working for the Pierce administration as the Cabinet 38 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: Secretary of War, and it was in this role that 39 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: he was able to advance the idea of using camels 40 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: in the US military. In December of eighteen fifty three, 41 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: The New York Times published a lengthy report written by 42 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: Davis about several military projects that he would like Congress 43 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: to fund, including the study of camels. In the passage 44 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: on camels, Davis describes two different types, the one humped 45 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: Dramedary or Arabian camel and the two humped Bactrian or 46 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: Central Asian camel. After outlining other countries success with the animals, 47 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: Davis made the case for importing them to the US, saying, 48 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: quote the camel, it is believed, would remove an obstacle 49 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: which now serves greatly to diminish the value and efficiency 50 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: of our troops on the Western frontier. For these considerations, 51 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: it is respectfully submitted that the necessary provision be made 52 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: for the introduction of a sufficient number of both varieties 53 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: of this animal to test its value and adaptation to 54 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: our country and our service. It took over a year 55 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: for Davis's request to be granted, but on March third, 56 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: eight fifty it finally happened. Congress passed a military appropriations 57 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: bill that included thirty thousand dollars for the purchase and 58 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: testing of camels in the American Southwest. With funding secured, 59 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: the military made the camel corps a top priority. A U. S. 60 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: Navy ship was sent to collect and bring back camels 61 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: from countries throughout the Middle East. The mission was stalled 62 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: by several setbacks, including a stretch of bad weather during 63 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: the return trip across the Atlantic Ocean, but in early 64 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: May of eighteen fifty six, the ship finally arrived in Texas, 65 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: carrying thirty one camels and two calves, as well as 66 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: a five man team of Arab and Turkish herdsman who 67 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: had been hired to care for the camels that summer. 68 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: The camels were marched from the port of Indianola all 69 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: the way to Camp Verde, an army outpost roughly sixty 70 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: miles southwest of San Antonio. There, the camels were assigned 71 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: basic tasks like hauling supplies to and from the fort. 72 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: It didn't take long for the soldiers to recognize the 73 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: benefits of using camels over mules or horses. For one thing, 74 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: camels could carry a lot more weight than pack mules, 75 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: They could also handle steep and muddy mountain trails much 76 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: better than wagons, which tended to tip over or get 77 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: stuck much too easily. Camels also didn't need to be 78 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: showed like horses and mules, which saved the army both 79 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: time and materials. The only real downside was that the 80 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: camels smelled much worse than the other pack animals, which 81 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 1: not only bothered the soldiers but their horses too. On 82 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: the other hand, the camels were tough as nails, and 83 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: they made the daily workload much more manageable, so as 84 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: long as you weren't standing down wind, the smell was 85 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: a small price to pay. A second voyage added another 86 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: forty four camels to the camp verday herd, bringing the 87 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 1: total to just over seventy. In time, they would be 88 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: joined by a second herd stationed in California and made 89 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: up of many young camels born in the US. Overall, 90 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: the Camel Corps experiments were considered a success, with the 91 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: animals being routinely used on expeditions in both Texas and California. However, 92 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: by the late eighteen fifties, the nation was inching closer 93 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: and closer to civil war. Suddenly, experimenting with camels in 94 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: the desert didn't seem like the best use of the 95 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: military's time and resources. After all, if war did break out, 96 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: it would largely be fought in the eastern part of 97 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: the country, where roads, rivers, and railroads were plentiful, and 98 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: camels wouldn't be of much use. The Civil War officially 99 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: began in April of eighteen sixty one, and it would 100 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: drag on for the next four years. The Camel Corps, however, 101 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: only lasted half that time. It was officially disbanded in 102 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty three. As for the camels themselves, the army 103 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: eventually sold both of its herds, splitting them up between 104 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 1: various carnivals, circuses, and mining operations, as well as a 105 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: few private owners who just thought camels were neat The 106 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: idea of a military program dedicated to the use of 107 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: camels might sound absurd on paper, but in practice it 108 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: did offer legitimate advantages, as the camels proved during the experiment. 109 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: If it wasn't for the Civil War interrupting the program, 110 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: it's likely that camels would have kept their place in 111 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: the U. S. Army for decades to come, or maybe 112 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: even longer. After all, it wasn't the camel's fault that 113 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: the program fell apart. The blame for that, as per usual, 114 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: falls squarely on human shoulders. I'm gay, Bluesier and hopefully 115 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: you now know a little more about history today than 116 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you enjoyed today's show, consider following 117 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t d i HC. Show. 118 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, 119 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: or you can write to us at this day at 120 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: I heart media dot com. Thanks, as always the Chandler 121 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 122 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another Day 123 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: in History class. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 124 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 125 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.