European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Camels continued from cover the Camel corps As it became known was an idea that seemed eminently logical. After All the Camel is durable and fast moving  handle terrain that would upset the hardiest horses and a it can go Days with no water and Little food. The goal of the corps was to set up a Commerce link Between Texas and the relatively new state of California Over Miles of harsh desert inhabited softly by mexican i and hostile indians. But As with Romany other things in this world the human Factor proved fatal to the Camel project. The driving Force behind the concept was Jefferson Davis Secretary of War under president a Pierce \. A a a a y. / a   a a  legacy of course is his disastrous Short lived tenure As Leader of the confederacy in the civil War which in retrospect makes the failure of the came corps seem fated. Davis had first heard of the idea from army officers in Florida in 1836, but did t officially flout the proposal until 1853 while a member of pierces Cabinet. Congress literally laughed him off Capitol Hill. But setting an example for generations of lobbyists to come Davis persisted and two years later Congress included $30,000 in the army a annual appropriations for the a a Purchase and importation of camels to be employed for military  army maj. Henry Wayne a Davis associate who loved the Camel idea was Given the Job of leading a military expedition to North Africa and the Middle East on the Navy store ship Supply. After procuring 33 camels one of them a monstrous fellow weighing More than a ton and standing Over 7 feet tall Wayne sailed for the United slates and landed three relatively uneventful months later in May 1856 at Indianola Texas. V a a a a a a a a a the Supply sailed Back to the Middle East this time without Wayne and returned to Texas in february 1857 with 44 More camels. The army then decided to move the Herd from Indianola to a permanent base Camp Jib out 150 Miles away at Camp verde Northwest of san an upal he Tough terrain and hot weather did t faze them. They needed Little water made great time and loved to eat the abundant scrub Brush which bad been. Considered utterly useless since horses and mules hated it. Tonio. All along the route Wayne was besieged by locals clamouring for a closer look at Uncle same a camels. After settling the camels at Camp verde Wayne was summoned to Washington for other duties. He handed the project to Edward Beale a former Navy lieutenant adventurer and explorer who had been tapped to Lead the first expedition West a. A a a a a a. A a. A a a a. A the expedition prepared to leave Camp verde with several dozen camels in june i857, but the departure was delayed for a number of reasons. One problem was that the group of turks that had come with the camels As handlers refused to. Go claiming the . Government Hadnot paid them Beale figured that was just As Well since the turks had greatly overstated their expertise. He trumped that the so called experts knew less about the needs and habits of the camels a than any american living in new York knows of  1 with no experience to fall Back on the party had some mishaps the . Soldiers loathed the camels and the feeling seemed to be Mutual. One military Driver kicked a loaded Camel that a refused to get up. The beast spat in his face a not a pleasant experience As Camel saliva is thick and foul and typically delivered with a projectile velocity that rivals a main gun round from an m1a1 a tank. A a a -. A a a a a a a a a when the Soldier took a club and attempted to beat the Camel it dodged the blows and used its huge Teeth to tear open the Many sarm to the Bone. A a a a a a a. Another Soldier tried to beat a Camel that had shaken off its packs but the animal promptly trampled him to  the expedition shoved off on r june 25, and the camels soon proved their Worth. The Tough terrain and hot weather did no to faze them. They needed Little water made great time and loved to cat the abundant scrub Brush which had been considered utterly useless since horses and mules hated it. Each Camel carried burdens of Corn Oats and. Other goods weighing almost 600 pounds with relative Case and usually made Between 20 and 30 Miles a Day. A no one could do Justice to their value in a pc editions of. This kind and Mook Forward to the Day when every mail route across the continent will he conducted with this economical and Noble brute Quot Beale gushed effusively in his journal. The caravan encountered Little trouble from the indians As it made its Way across what is now Northern new Mexico and Arizona but it made quite a stir among villagers along the Way. They thought this was a travelling circus and Beale was not above having some fun at their expense. In one town he told tall tales of the tricks his animals could do a not Only the camels but the horses mules and dogs too. A we left our friends.,. Filled with admiration for the nation one of whose humblest individuals possessed a horse capable of standing on its head and drinking wine Quot he wrote. The expedition crossed into California and made it to Cjon near Bakersfield in october. Beale left most of the cartels at his ranch there and took 14 for a return trip by another route. The Experiment worked but the growing rifts in the Union kept Congress Busy and Secretary of War John Floyd could not procure funds for the planned Purchase of another 1,000 camels. Miners following the army a Lead also imported camels. But they also decided the creatures were too much trouble and gave up on Orbital