1 On a story day in April 1856, a ship carrying Egyptian cargo sailed along the Gulf Coast of Texas. The ship pitched sharply in the high seas. Days passed before the captain was able to transfer his freight to a small boat that could take it to shore. After three months at sea, 34 camels were about to set foot on U.S. soil!
2 The camels were bound for the newly formed U.S. Camel Corps that belonged ot the U.S. War Department. The head of the corps was Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Davis hoped that the camels could be used to explore the deserts of west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. He believed the camels could carry supplies to remote army outposts and even carry soldiers to watch over pioneer settlements.
3 But once on land, the camels had to travel to their permanent home at Camp Verde, Texas.
Biting, Kicking, Spitting, and Smelling
4 The journey was not easy and many problems occurred. Army men were familiar with horses and mules but not camels.
5 Packing supplies around the hump in the middle of a camel’s saddle frustrated the men. Some of them were convinced that the camels held grudges and waited to get even by biting, kicking, or spitting at them. Above all else, the camels smelled. Their odor was so strong that one whiff of the approaching camels sent horses stampeding. The army ended up sending a horseback rider ahead of the camels, yelling, “Get out of the road; the camels are coming.”
Camels on the Go
6 But when the camels were called to carry supplies for a War Department expedition, the animals proved their worth. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, the expedition leader, praised them. “My admiration for the camels increases daily with my experience of them. They pack water for others four days under a hot sun and never get a drop; they pack heavy burdens of corn and oats for months and never get a grain; and on bitter greasewood and other worthless shrubs not only subsist but keep fat.”
On Active Duty
7 Five years after the camels arrived in the United States, the Civil War divided the country. The Southern states decided to secede–or break away–from the Northern states and form the Confederate States of America. As Texas politicians argued whether their state should also secede, General Twiggs saw a way to finally rid his command of the camels. He asked permission to sell the camels or let them loose on the prairie. But before he received an answer, Texas did secede. Camp Verde surrendered to Confederate soldiers, who now found themselves in charge of weapons, supplies, and a total of 80 camels.
8 For the next four years, Confederate soldiers used some of the camels to haul cotton to Mexico and salt throughout Texas. They loaned other camels to the postal service to deliver mail around San Antonio, Texas. But for the most part, the camels had little to do.
9 The soldiers at Camp Verde paid little attention to them. Some camels wandered off; three traveled to the war-torn countryside of Arkansas. One Confederate general used a camel to carry his company’s baggage. Soldiers reported seeing this camel “swinging along, under a little mountain of carpet-sacks, cooking utensils, blankets, etc.”
10 When the Civil War ended in 1865, the camels at Camp Verde became the property of the U.S. government. A year later, the 66 remaining camels were auctioned off. Edward Beale, who had been so taken with the camels, bought some of them. Beale’s camels retired to his California ranch, where they lived in comfort. Others were bought and used to carry supplies over land. When these camels were no longer needed, the owners turned the camels loose. Over the years, settlers and miners claimed to see wild camels roaming the American Southwest.
What is the best summary of paragraphs 6 through 8 of the article?
A. Despite the ability of camels to carry large loads and go for long periods of time without water, the use of camels did not receive much support from the soldiers. Eventually the camels were used for delivering mail in Texas.
B. Camels were useful to the army because they could carry food and water without consuming any. However, one general wanted to end the use of camels, suggesting that it would save the government money. While his efforts were not successful, the camels were eventually used for other services.
C. Camels began to gain the respect of some of the army leaders. The camels were admired for traveling long distances in severe environmental conditions. However, one general requested that the camels be released from military duty.
D. Even though the camels were praised by the expedition leader, one general wanted to release them on the prairie in order to save the government money. Then Texas seceded from the Northern states, and the camels were put to work carrying supplies and mail.
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