Hi Richard, 

I too am currently writing an article about camels,  but my area of interest
is Alabama and the antebellum  cotton belt in adjoining states, and I am
researching camels that were imported circa 1858.   

These camels were originally imported through the port at Galveston but
later  transported to sell elsewhere, like New Orleans and up through the
Port of Mobile so they could be sold to planters in the old cotton belt.
The importers (Mr. Machado and his "paramour" Mrs. Watson)  worked with a
planter by the name of Woolsey in Dallas County, Alabama. Machado was
Portuguese by birth but lived in New York.

 Mr. Woolsey of Alabama experimented with the animals to see if they might
be a good replacement for the Mule in plowing and in carrying cotton bales
to town.  Woolsey's reports were printed in newspapers nationwide.   There
was even a plowing contest  between camels and mules next to the state
capital in  Montgomery.  Reportedly the last living camel in my county
(Dallas) was killed by a locomotive when the poor thing fell asleep on the
tracks, but I've not heard of anyone finding camel bones in the
archaeological context in Alabama.   

FYI:   The Alabama camels were imported by people who were known illegal
slave traders, so there is the possibility that these animals were brought
in as a front for the illegal slave trade. (camels on the deck; slaves
inside the ship). 
  
By the way, there is a monument in Vicksburg Mississippi for one camel that
"fought" in the Civil War  with Company A of the Forty-third Mississippi
Infantry (Old Douglas).   It has always been assumed he came from the
western military camels, but I think it is just as likely that he was  one
of the later imports that ended up on a Mississippi plantation.   

There must be over a hundred camels that died in the deep south of the U.S.,
from Alabama to Arkansas to east Texas.   So, I too would like to hear if
anyone finds camel bones or documentation of camels in this region dating
from either before or after the Civil War (camels do have a long lives).   

By the way, there is some documentary evidence that some of these camels
were turned into camel steaks, so there may be among food remains. 

Richard, if you know who imported your camels or where exactly they
originated, please let me know. We may be able to link our research in this
way.   I suspect from what you wrote, that your camels were a government
sponsored importation, like our western camels, so we might not have much in
common.  What was the date of importation?    Our western military camels
came in mostly because of Jefferson Davis, who was the Sec. of War at the
time, but  Davis does have a tie to Alabama because he  later served here as
the president of the Confederacy during our Civil War.   

Hope you hear from you Richard so we can compare notes and from anyone in
the Southern U.S. with Camel info.  Thanks.

Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
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-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Misty
Jackson
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 8:22 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Camels in US

Richard,

There were camels in New Mexico, too. The expedition using them started out
from Albuquerque and headed to California, then returned to New Mexico. See
the article at:

www.nevadaobserver.com/Reading%20Room%20Documents/camel_caravans_of_the_amer
ican_d.htm

I don't know of any associated sites but try contacting New Mexico's state
archaeologist.

Misty Jackson, Ph.D., RPA
Arbre Croche Cultural Resources
214 South Main Street
Leslie, Michigan 49251

On Jan 11, 2013, at 3:38 PM, Richard Wright wrote:

> Hi folks;
> 
> I am working on a book on the Camels experiment in British Columbia. I
have completed the Canadian end of the research, including walking two
camels along a section of the Cariboo Road.
> Now I am heading south to Fort Tejon and other Southwest points to
research the US end of the story.  Yes, I know the BC camels did not come
from the Texas importation.
> Has anyone on this list found any archeology reports or know of finds
relating to camels in Texas (such as Fort Verde) Arizona or California?
> I know no remains have been found in B.C. but perhaps in the dry desert
there have been.
> 
> Any suggestions welcome.
> 
> Richard Wright
> 
> Wells, B.C. Canada
>