#FunFactFriday ๐ซ๐ต Did you know that back in 1857-58, the United States decided to experiment with using camels for military purposes? ๐บ๐ธ These majestic creatures were put to the test while crossing the treacherous Mojave Desert. But here’s where the story gets really interesting! ๐ฎ
During their journey, a group of Native Americans, curious and undoubtedly surprised by these unusual beasts, decided to launch an attack. ๐ฑ Just as things were getting intense, the brave camel driver unsheathed his shiny Scimitar, ๐ก๏ธ let out a fierce battle cry, and shouted “Bismiallah” (meaning “in the name of Allah”).๐ Little did he know that the Native Americans had never encountered these magnificent creatures before! ๐ฒ
The sight of this gigantic desert “demon” charging towards them was enough to send the Indians into a full-blown panic! ๐จ They fled, leaving the confused camels and their courageous driver unharmed. ๐โโ๏ธ๐จ Can you imagine their shock and awe at witnessing these extraordinary animals for the very first time? ๐คฉ
This incredible historical tale reminds us how diverse cultures and circumstances can lead to unforgettable encounters, and the impact they can have on people’s beliefs and perceptions. ๐ So, the next time you spot a camel, think about the incredible journey these magnificent creatures have been a part of throughout history! ๐ซโจ #CamelChronicles #UnexpectedEncounters #BringOnTheCamelFacts ๐ง
I see a little sillouetto of a man!
The story of this guy, Hi Jolly is fascinating
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi_Jolly
He will no let you go
It might be the sleep deprivation but the image in my head of a bunch of native americans being like โdude what the FUCK IS THAT-โ at the sight of a camel coming at them is killing me
Extra fun fact: camels evolved in North America, then wandered off to Asia only a few million years ago. The last camels in North America only went extinct fairly recently, possibly from early modern humans moving into the continent, and the ones that went south went on to become llamas.
Having seen a lot of camels in the Middle East I can 100% see how they’d think that. Demons whose stupidity is so profound that just looking into their eyes could break the bravest of warriors.
I don’t care which you choose between Native American and Indian, but when you pick a lane, pick a lane.
Very, Very Frightening. Galileo
1976 comedy movie “Hawmps?” is based on this story.
They were also tested at Camp Verde, TX, northwest of San Antonio.
Will you let him go????
Camels also terrify horses. Something about the smell, I’m not quite sure what, but horses have to be specifically trained to not panic at the presence of camels. If those Indians were on horseback, it might have been the horses fleeing in terror and not them.
Wonder if this and the Red Ghost have something in common:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ghost_(folklore)
The 1850s were a pretty rough time for indigenous treatment, not sure if this incident qualifies or anything, just worth noting
The southwest US is very rocky terrain, and camels hooves couldnโt take it. The heat was why they tried this in the first place.That the region was too rough for CAMELS really tells you how extreme it is.If power and water shut off to Phoenix and Vegas in the summer,,,๐ฐ๐
Fucking legend
Fun fact: The Secretary of War during this experiment was an obscure figure named Jefferson Davis who would never appear at all in American history ever again.
Did that actually happen? I canโt find a source for it anywhere
The movie “[Hawmps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8SX9ORt8kc)” was about, or inspired by, this.
Soldiers moving on ~~horse~~camelback.
But fighting dismounted, like regular infantry.
Imagine that.
Imagine dragoons.
No one believed them when they got back.
I eat lunch with a client every quarter by Camp Verde, TX. It’s actually a great little historic site and has a very nice restaurant.
How would the soldiers have known what the native Americans were thinking when they fled?
In Arizona they found one with a skeleton tied to it. It was legendary until a farmer finally shot it.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ghost_(folklore)
I thought it said 1957-58 and was kinda surprised.
Why the hell would native Americans know a camel was from the desert?
My family was traveling in Arizona (1980s) when our youngest child suddenly took ill in the car. It was an emergency (he was bleeding profusely from his mouth!), so we sped to the nearest town, which happened to be [Quartzite, AZ.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartzsite,_Arizona) At the time the place was so small, they only had a drive-in medical van; luckily it was still parked in the center of town when we arrived.
At first they treated us like something out of ‘The Andromeda Strain’; they didn’t know why he was bleeding, and at the time Ebola and AIDS were just starting to make headlines. We got the full bio suit treatment. But one doctor realized it was a minor nasal hemorrhage from our airplane flight the day before – we were flying in from the East Coast, and the dry Arizona air caused our son to have a serious, but not life threatening nose bleed. He was released an hour or so later; they advised us to rest for a while, stay hydrated to reduce the chance of any further bleeding, and have a meal before leaving later in the evening evening when it was cooler.
You could drive around the Quartzite in less than an hour; but it had really nice people, and some of the best food on the planet. We stopped at a lapidary to look at some jewelry and precious stones (including some of the largest geodes I have ever seen), and the owner gave us the history of the place and the mineral deposits that were literally laying on the surface of the surrounding desert. You could pick up all the quartz you wanted, along with other semi-precious stones if you knew where to look. There were even abandoned copper mines if you were looking for raw turquoise. Absolutely amazing.
As we were driving around, we saw a small sign; and arrow pointing down a road, and the words ‘Hi Jolly’ I remembered the name – I recalled it had something to do with a Disney movie – so we decided to check it out. We had stumbled on [Hi Jolly’s grave site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi_Jolly), and the monument the State of Arizona had built there to commemorate his life. As I recall, he is buried in their cemetery with some of the camels that were brought over for the US Calvary experiment.
In my head, I’ m picturing Bohemian 6 and
Best [image](https://www.bing.com/images/create/american-soldier-riding-a-charging-camel-while-yel/6535ec61440e4fca8df3837739482469?id=1LxRXK3FHaBxAPjBxEPKug%3d%3d&view=detailv2&idpp=genimg&FORM=GCRIDP&mode=overlay) I could get AI to make depicting this moment
Hereโs one: Do you wanna know why they call camels โships of the desert?โ
Because theyโre full of Arab seamen
Well, I am convinced that Camels *are* devilish creatures. They have a terrible temper.
The project was killed by an annoying thing back East that sucked up all military spending for a few years.
Interesting history
https://www.beniciamagazine.com/backwards-glance-an-endearing-story-that-gave-the-camel-barns-its-name/
Why did he have a scimitar tho? Was he just full cosplaying since he had the camel anyway?? ๐คฃ
Salah I said *no camels*
That’s so cool imagining a band of native Americans encountering an Arab warrior on camelback
Getting attacked by a desert demon in the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter.