Welcome to Fast Facts with Reasons for Hope! I’m Carl Kerby and, today, we’re going to be talking about the animal that helped the US War Department connect the eastern territories with the far west – the camel!
It’s true! In 1855, Jefferson Davis encouraged the Army to use camels to help with the westward expansion of the United States. He persuaded congress to invest $30,000 to purchase and import camels.
In 1856, the camels arrived in the US.
In 1857, 60,000 citizens petitioned the government for a permanent roadway between the east and the west.
General Edward Fitzgerald Beale was given the contract to make the survey with one restriction – he had to use the Army’s camels. He protested, but to no avail.
Four months and over 1,200 miles later, they arrived in California. General Beale had totally changed his mind about the camels. He LOVED them and they had proven to be invaluable.
At one point, as they swam across the Colorado River with full packs, two horses and ten mules drowned, but there were no problems with the camels.
Hope you’ve liked learning about the camel and the incredible way God designed it. See you next time with more Fast Facts with Reasons for Hope. Until then… stay bold!
Karl Kerby is the founder of Reasons for Hope and co-creator of the DeBunked apologetic video series. His radio feature, Fast Facts, is heard weekly on VCY America, Saturdays at 9:25 AM Central.
