Camels in the West
They reached Fort Clark after six days, but that was the easy part. From there on out the road was rough and a long distance between forts. The camels performed well enduring the weather and greedily ate the mesquite and creosote which the mules and horses wouldn't touch. A few days later they reached Fort Lancaster without having encountered any Indians. They continued on to Comanche Springs, a trading post with fresh water. The camels were still doing well, carrying 500 to 600 pounds apiece. Amazingly their soft feet held up on the harsh lava rock they were crossing.
On July 23, they finally reached the Rio Grande. On July 27, they reached Fort Bliss. Now it was time for the reason they were here--to survey for a wagon road. The survey would start at Zuni near Fort Defiance. The camels were now carrying over 700 pounds each with no problem. A few days later, Beale's so-called expert guide got them lost and the wagon train began to suffer terribly without water. Of course, the camels were doing fine. Beale knew they should be a spring nearby because it was described by earlier travelers. They finally found some pools in a canyon and all were saved.
The train continued until they reached the Colorado River, the end of the survey. They crossed the Colorado at the point where Arizona, California, and Nevada meet on October 20. Not one camel was lost in the river but ten mules and two horses were drowned. They rode into Los Angeles, then to Fort Tejon, where the camels would be stationed. Beale later led an expedition back in February to report whether the route was passable in the winter. Shortly afterward, he filed his report on the route and the success of the camel experiment.
The camels endured several more tests to test the feasibility of using then in the southwest. The next test for the camels was to explore between the Pecos River and the Rio Grande for supply routes to army posts and for good locations for future army posts. This mission was also very successful. The only trouble was navigating the steep slippery banks of the Pecos, on which several camels slipped. But they stood up well, at times carrying over 600 pounds each. At one time a camel was bit by a rattlesnake, but after cleaning and dressing the wound, the beast showed no ill effects.
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