Once upon a time in Texas, camels joined the army…

I’ve got to be kidding right? Camels in Texas?

Well why not? Think about it. West Texas is part of the great American desert, correct? And what better way to carry men and supplies across dry, rugged desert terrain than the “ships of the desert,” as camels are called.

At least that’s what a young Army Lieutenant named George Crossman thought back in 1836. Crossman and a friend, E.H. Miller, studied the idea and sent a report to the War Department in Washington recommending that camels be adopted as beasts of burden for the military. The concept of using camels had special appeal in Texas as a way of transporting supplies from San Antonio to the line of military forts running along the very edge of the frontier.