Old Camp Verde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Camp Verde
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Camp Verde
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 Old Camp Verde
Location in Texas
Old Camp Verde
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Camp Verde, Texas |
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| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | Jules Poindsard |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001968 |
| Added to NRHP | May 25, 1973 |
Camp Verde was a special place in Kerr County, Texas, built by the United States Army on July 8, 1856. It was located along an important road connecting San Antonio to El Paso, Texas.
This camp was the main base for the United States Camel Corps. This was a unique experiment where the Army tried using camels as pack animals. They wanted to see if camels could help carry supplies across the southwestern United States. The Army brought camels to Texas in 1856 and 1857. These camels were good at long trips in the desert. However, they didn't get along with the Army's horses and mules. The other animals would get scared when they smelled a camel! Also, some soldiers found the camels hard to manage and didn't like their smell.
Camp Verde During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, in February 1861, soldiers from the Confederate Army took over Camp Verde. They captured more than 80 camels there.
A group of Texas Rangers was put in charge of the camp in 1862. Some of the camels were used to carry salt from San Antonio and San Elizario, Texas. Others helped move cotton to Mexico. A few camels escaped and ended up in Arkansas. From there, they were sent to Iowa to be sold.
Some camels were kept in San Antonio. A leader named Rip Ford even thought about using them to take back Fort Brown. This was because the land between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers was very dry. The camels were sent to Guadalupe, where two died. Then, they were sent back to Camp Verde.
When Union troops returned to Camp Verde in 1865, they found about 66 camels left. These camels were sold to a man named Bethel Coopwood. Bethel sold five camels to the Ringling Brothers Circus and other circuses in Mexico. When he brought the rest back to the U.S., the government briefly took them back. But they were soon released. The camels were then sent to Arizona, where they slowly died off.
Camp Verde was officially closed on April 1, 1869. Today, you can still see the ruins of the officers' living quarters on private land. A special Texas state historic marker and the old entrance gate stand by the road. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 25, 1973.
The U.S. Camel Corps Experiment
The idea for the U.S. Camel Corps came from Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. He chose Henry C. Wayne to lead the project. Edward Fitzgerald Beale suggested that David Dixon Porter command the ship that would bring the camels.
On May 10, 1855, Porter's ship, the Supply, set sail. Its mission was to go to the Middle East and buy camels for military use. Wayne and Porter visited places like Tunis, Malta, Smyrna, and Alexandria. Wayne learned that one-humped camels could carry heavy loads of 600 pounds. They could travel about 25 miles a day. Camels ridden by soldiers could even go 70 miles daily!
The first group of camels arrived in the U.S. at Indianola, Texas, on April 29, 1856. There were 34 camels, along with an American officer and staff, two Turks, and three Arabs. The camels included different types, like "Tunis Camels," "Bactrian Camels" (which have two humps), and various kinds of dromedaries. By August 27, all the camels had moved to Camp Verde. The camp had a special camel corral (a pen for animals) with 10-foot-high walls. There were also small huts for the camel drivers.
Porter made a second trip to the Middle East. He returned to Texas with 41 more camels on February 10, 1857. He also brought nine more men and one boy, including famous camel drivers like Hadji Ali and George Caralambo. After this, the responsibility for the camels went to Captain Innis N. Palmer, the commander of Camp Verde.
When John B. Floyd became the new Secretary of War, he chose Edward F. Beale to lead the Camel Corps. Beale's job was to map out a wagon road from Fort Defiance, New Mexico, to the Colorado River. On June 19, 1857, Beale left Camp Verde with 25 camels. He left 46 camels behind. They traveled the lower road from San Antonio to El Paso. By August 24, they reached the Fort Defiance area. On October 17, they arrived at the Colorado River. Beale noticed that the camels could go for up to 36 hours without water. They could also eat tough desert plants and were very hard to scare. The camels continued their journey to Fort Tejon.
By 1858, Camp Verde had about 50 camels, and Fort Tejon had 25. However, the new commander of the Department of Texas, Major General David E. Twiggs, said he didn't want the camels in his command. Even so, in 1859, he ordered Edwart L. Hartz to explore the Big Bend region with 24 camels. After his trip, Hartz reported that camels were "superior" for military use in dry areas. He praised their "patience, endurance, and steadiness."
Images for kids
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The Penateka people and why the fort was built.
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Historical marker showing the camp's history.
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An older sign for Camp Verde.
