U. S. Army Camel Corps
Del Rio, Val Verde County, Texas
Marker Inscription
U. S. Army Camel Corps The proposal to use camels for commerce and transportation in the arid southwest came about in the 1830s, but it was under U. S. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis that the idea became a reality. The first shipment of camels arrived on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1856, and they were taken to Camp Verde (150 mi. NE of here) for training. Several expeditions made their way west through Del Rio, and this park was the site of one of their camps. Although the officers in charge wrote favorably of the Camel Corps, the Civil War brought the experiment to a close. Confederate troops stationed at nearby Fort Hudson found camels still in the area, and confirmed sightings of wild camels continued into the mid-20th century. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A scheme to use camels for transport across the arid Southwest, floated in the 1830s, became reality under Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, and the first animals landed on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1856 for training at Camp Verde. Several expeditions passed westward through Del Rio, camping in this very park. Officers praised the experiment, but the Civil War ended it — and confirmed sightings of wild camels persisted into the mid-20th century.
Why it matters
The Camel Corps is one of the more colorful footnotes of America's westward push, a bold logistical experiment to conquer distances the Army could not yet cross by rail.
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Related people
- · Jefferson Davis
Related events
- · U.S. Army Camel Corps
Themes & tags
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