The bizarre yet true story of how the US Army tried to conquer the American West with camels
Some might say it was the first of many of the Army’s failed modernization attempts.
By Haley Britzky April 05, 2021
News Army Mandatory Fun
The bizarre yet true story of how the US Army tried to conquer the American West with camels
In 1836, an Army lieutenant had a… unique idea.
The U.S. was in the midst of its expansion west, which was proving to be a difficult and oftentimes dangerous trek for pioneers who were attempting to make their way across harsh terrain. Enter Army Lt. George H. Crossman, who proposed a simple solution: Camels.
The idea of buying and importing camels to the American Southwest for “military purposes†would later be considered “the most unique experiment in U.S. Army history,†according to the National Museum of the U.S. Army. Unofficially called the “U.S. Army Camel Corps,†the experiment saw a series of successes before it was effectively ended with the beginning of the Civil War.
Some might say it was the first of many of the Army’s failed modernization attempts, but I digress.
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