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You're missing the only camel-mounted military band in the world right now (Original Post) Recursion Jan 2015 OP
The only clip I see is live but no camels. Wrong clip? catbyte Jan 2015 #1
They had just passed when I posted this Recursion Jan 2015 #2
There was a Camel Corps fighting in the Battle of Crete in '42 malthaussen Jan 2015 #3
The Union army had some during the Civil War Recursion Jan 2015 #4
Wonder if they had a band. malthaussen Jan 2015 #5
A distant cousin of mine had a hand in that venture! csziggy Jan 2015 #6

malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
3. There was a Camel Corps fighting in the Battle of Crete in '42
Mon Jan 26, 2015, 10:09 AM
Jan 2015

Camels have been used as cavalry (camelry?) for a long time. The band is pretty awesome, though.

-- Mal

malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
5. Wonder if they had a band.
Mon Jan 26, 2015, 10:21 AM
Jan 2015

Last edited Mon Jan 26, 2015, 11:04 AM - Edit history (1)

Too bad there was no YouTube in 1861.

There are contemporary photographs, though. And even a re-enactment group.

-- Mal

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
6. A distant cousin of mine had a hand in that venture!
Mon Jan 26, 2015, 10:59 PM
Jan 2015

Josiah Harlan was the first American in Afghanistan in 1829 and might be the person who Kipling based "The Man Who Would Be King" on. He was instated as Governor of Nurpur and Jasrota and later named Prince of Ghor. But he did not agree with how the British were dealing with India and Afghanistan and became a persona non grata.

When he was thrown out of Afghanistan he wrote a book denouncing the British handling of the situation there - the book was extremely unpopular in England and ruined any prospects for further publications based on his travels.

"With his funds dwindling, Harlan began taking on new tasks. He began lobbying the American government to import camels to settle the Western United States. His real hope was that they would order their camels from Afghanistan and send him there as purchasing agent. Harlan convinced the government that camels would be a worthy investment (Secretary of War Jefferson Davis was particularly interested), but it was decided that it would be cheaper to import them from Africa than from Afghanistan. When the US Army discovered the resistance of American horses, mules, and cows to the aggressive camels, the Camel Corps was disbanded in 1863. Camels were set free in Arizona."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Harlan#Homeward_bound

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