
Look, horses are great and all, but have you ever considered: camels. What if, around the mid-1800s, the U.S. military just ditched horses and went with camels instead? Well, it did almost happen, for real. As told by the National Museum of the United States Army, the whole endeavor originated in the 1830s and was heavily tied to the westward expansion of the U.S. across the North American continent. Simply put, the large amount of materials needed for westward travel, especially when paired with hot temperatures, meant that camels could become ideal mounts for expeditions headed out west.
Initially, the U.S. army didn’t take much note of the idea, but according to National Geographic, the concept did eventually catch the eye of Senator Jefferson Davis in the 1850s, who pressured Congress to fund the idea of folding camels into regular military operations. After a few years, he did actually secure some funding, insisting that the mounts could be used in campaigns to hunt down Native Americans. Which is pretty far from a noble pursuit, especially viewed through a modern lens, though Davis likely had other unsavory ideas in mind, too. Camels have an odd history linked to slavery, and, long story short, Davis might have been hoping that introducing more camels to the U.S. would lead to the westward expansion of slavery itself.
That didn’t really happen, though. Camels weren’t made for speed, but rather for carrying heavy loads, so they didn’t really fare too well in battle. Plus, they had their own unique issues, not least of which was their unpleasant smell. Ultimately, they didn’t see much military use, aside from a few token uses during the Civil War.