The 1830s were a time of westward expansion for the United States. Pioneers were packing up their families, farms, and belongings, moving west in hopes of a brighter future. Doing so was long, hard, and dangerous, and these settlers faced and braved deserts, rivers, and mountains amongst unpredictable weather for the chance at a more prosperous existence. Here is where the camels come in.
THE CAMEL EXPERIMENT
Around 1836, Major George H. Crosman of the United States Army, with the assistance of his friend E. H. Miller, suggested that the military adopt camels as a suitable pack animal for bearing burdens in rough terrain. They encouraged the War Department accordingly. Over a decade later, in the late 1840s, Major Henry C. Wayne conducted deeper investigations into the viability of the idea. His findings resulted in his recommendation to proceed with the purchase of camels. Practically, the idea did not fully take hold until Senator Jefferson Davis from Mississippi was named the Secretary of War in 1853. Davis encouraged President Pierce and a quite skeptical Congress to consider the implications of utilizing the animals; the idea gained traction.
Davis saw a need for transportation across the southwestern United States, thought of at the time (by people far removed from the area) as a dry, arid, desert expanse. If the military needed to transport goods across such treacherous terrain, camels could be of great use. Congress approved the recommendation in 1855, placing Wayne in charge of procuring the mammals from overseas, and providing him with a $30,000 budget.
A few months later, he boarded the USS Supply, commanded by Lieutenant David Porter. They sailed from New York to the Mediterranean, beginning their search for the beasts of burden in earnest. They ended up procuring 33 camels along with supplies such as proper saddles while stopping in several countries, such as Tunisia, Turkey, and Egypt. After nine months abroad, they loaded up the ship with the animals, drivers, and supplies, and set sail to Indianola, Texas.
After successfully arriving, Major Wayne and Lieutenant Porter parted ways; Wayne took the camels to their permanent home at Camp Verde, while Porter returned to the Mediterranean to procure more animals. Porter returned in 1857 and when the new herd joined the existing camels at their Camp Verde home, the Army employed 70 beasts. The official camel station was up and running.
The camels typically travelled between Camp Verde and San Antonio, but within the first ten years, they were utilized on two important missions. In 1857, they travelled from Texas to California. During this time, Edward Beale surveyed the land that would eventually become the famous Route 66. Two years later, they carried topographical engineers on a mission to scout Comanche trails, crossing the Chihuahuan Desert. The camels were credited with the success of both missions.
In 1866, post-Civil War politics resulted in the federal government abandoning the experiment, despite its practical success. The brief period of military camels in Texas became lost to even most history books.
THE CAMEL MAN
One man took on the mission of not letting this important nugget of Texas and U.S. military history slip through the cracks. Doug Baum is the owner of Texas Camel Corps, located in Valley Mills, Texas. For Christmas 1993, Baum was given a book, Noble Brutes by Eva Jolene Boyd, a narrative on the U.S. Army Camel Experiment. At the time, Baum was living in Nashville, Tennessee working as a zookeeper. But, the book lit a fire in Baum. Within three years, Baum had moved back home to Texas and began his project with two camels.
Baum’s own camel experiment is currently a thriving family business. “It’s a family business,” says Baum, known internationally as a camel expert. “Everyone is involved, and everyone is capable. While the kids all have their own dreams and goals, the camels will always figure into our family.”
All sorts of organizations and individuals hire Baum and his animals over the course of the year. Historical reenactments take up a large portion of his time. He loves sharing this usually unremarked period of Texas history with students young and old. “Schools, faith-based organizations, museums, [and] libraries,” all hire Baum for his expertise and the animals that come along with him! “Be it a live nativity or the U.S. Army Camel Experiment; nothing captivates the public’s attention like my small caravan of camels.” For many of the educational programs, “Camels better help tell the site’s story.”
Both Baum and his camels occasionally enjoy a bit of celebrity due to the uniqueness of their location and situation. “We’ve done one feature, A Texas Funeral starring Martin Sheen, and have appeared on the History Channel twice,” says Baum. One of the camels has starred in a Toyota commercial. “Film work is fun and challenging at the same time,” he says. “You just have to be very patient.”
When Baum is not caring for camels or educating and entertaining the public, he offers Big Bend Camel Treks. These give opportunities for individuals to camp and explore the Big Bend area on camelback. In recent years, he has expanded this service internationally.
In 2001, “A tour operator in [Egypt] connected me to the most gracious and patient Bedouin man, Saleh bin Suleiman, and I lived with his family for the entire month of January,” recalls Baum. He returned in 2002 and Suleiman begged him to bring American tourists, to offer guided tours there in Egypt. When he and his wife discussed the prospect, they figured as long as he broke even, it wouldn’t hurt. Fifteen years later, he is still going back! Since then, he has added Morocco, Jordan, and India. However, for those in Texas, “The Big Bend tours are very different from my foreign tours. It focuses completely on the camels and the US Army Camel Experiment history in that area.”
For those looking to learn more about Baum’s camels, the U.S. Army Camel Experiment, or are looking to spend some time on the back of and camping with camels either locally or abroad, visit www.texascamelcorps.com.
