How Can You Lose a Camel??

It's Friday evening, and I am reading--as usual. This time it is a book by Andrew E. Masich called The Civil War in Arizona. I am starting the Picacho Pass post for ECW, and this seemed like as good a place as any.

Of course, it took me right back to Fort Tejon (above, in earlier times). I have already mentioned General James H. Carleton here, and his stint at the Fort. What I didn't know was that he was good buds with another soldier called William McCleave. McCleave served as Carleton's first sergeant in Company K, 1st U. S. Dragoons in the 1850s, and was such a good officer that Carleton asked for his help in forming the California Column.

Apparently McCleave had left the service in 1860 to "oversee the Army's experimental camel herd at Fort Tejon."

And I thought it was all a myth!

There is more, but I can hardly wait for the "Camel Skirmish" to begin right here on this blog! Colonel Ellsworth and I are just gonna sit back & fan the flames!

Stay tuned.