The Camel Corps

In 1855 Congress authorized $30,000 for camels as frontier military beasts of burden because of their adaptability to desert heat, drought, and food. Lt. Edward F. Beale surveyed the wagon route from Fort Defiance, New Mexico, to the Colorado River near the tip of Nevada, testing the fitness of these camels. They crossed the Colorado River into Nevada north to Fort Mohave on October 18, 1857. The experiment was not practical, but ten of Beale's camels hauled commercial freight from Sacramento to Nevada territory. Others purchased in 1860 carried salt, ore, and supplies through central Nevada. Careless treatment, domestic stock incompatibility, and new transportation methods ended the use of camels. Some were seen years later wandering in southwest deserts.

Nevada · United States