When camels roamed the west
The proposal to use camels to explore the Southwest was kicked around by the burgeoning United States congress for about 19 years before being approved in 1855. The government agreed to allocate $30,000 to purchase 34 camels from Egypt and Turkey and transport them to Texas. They imported two types of camel, the dromedary – one-humped, light, swift, and often trained for riding and racing; and the Bactrian – two-humped, heavier, slower, and able to carry hundreds of pounds on its back.
Camels are an ancient species, thought to have existed for more than 5,000 years. Known to be hardy, powerful, and fast, they were relied upon for food and transportation by desert dwellers, who considered the animal sacred and even treated them like family members. Able to understand many human commands and words, they are intelligent and loyal – if treated with respect. Treated badly, camels will retaliate. This was the unfortunate experience of the Texas-based soldiers, who were left to care for the regal beasts when the camel experts were sent to battle in the Civil War. The camels’ perceived stubbornness led the ignorant men to kick, whip, and pummel them. The retribution typically dished out by the camels came in the form of a well-aimed giant spit-wad – actually vomit.
Info
Address 1052 North Banning Boulevard, Wilmington, CA 90744, +1 310.548.7509, www.drumbarracks.org | Getting there Free on-site lot | Hours Tours: Tue, Wed & Thu 10am & 11:30am, Sat & Sun 11:30am & 1pm, closed Mon & Fri. There are no self-guided tours. $5 suggested donation.| Tip Phineas Banning, one of the founders of Wilmington and a fervent supporter of the Union, donated land for the Drum Barracks fort to be built. Take a tour of his carefully restored 23-room residence, built in 1864, now the Banning Museum (401 E M Street, Los Angeles, CA 90744).
It was 1862, Year Two of the Civil War, when the camels were unloaded in Wilmington, where they remained for about 18 months, mostly sleeping and eating. Ultimately, they were let loose in the desert, eventually perishing.
The Civil War museum is intimate, consisting of seven exhibition rooms, including a corner devoted to the ill-fated camel experiment. The building is the last remaining structure of the 22 that once comprised the westernmost outpost of the Civil War.
Back
To the online map