During the mid 1800’s, the southwest territory was increasing in size. These growths prompt the U.S. Army to ask the Senate to provide them with camels for military use. Camels require less water than horses and mules and were able to travel greater distances without getting exhausted. They could carry heavier loads, and able to track Indians for the Army to hunt them down. In 1854 the Senate passed a bill allowing 30,000 camels to be used as an experiment.
By 1857, about 72 camels were brought in and used to move supplies across the southwest. The soldiers quickly found out that the camels’ dispositions were unfriendly, scaring the horses and meandering off at night out into the dark desert. The soldiers detested the camels but still continued using them until the Civil War broke out. Afterwards, the camels were auctioned off or let loose in the desert.
For many years afterwards, people have reported seeing camels wandering the hot desolate desert. Most of the sightings were in the southern area of Arizona. With all the camel sightings, many urban legends and tall tales have spawned from these stories. The one that is told most often is about the camel known as the “Red Ghost”. This mysterious beast has been seen roaming the desert and wandering into mining camps carrying its headless rider. Is this camel a ghost or real?
In 1883, a woman’s body was found under a bush and appeared to be trampled to death by some unknown creature. They found clumps of red fur and hoof prints in the area her body was found. This creature also was sighted in a couple of miners’ camps, running into their tents. Red fur and hooves were also found in those areas. After many sightings, the locals realized that the beast causing these traumas was indeed a camel. The camel was spotted many times by witnesses who also reported a rider on its back that appeared to be dead and missing his head. The deemed him the “Red Ghost” because of its red fur and the way it appeared to roam the desert like a ghost.
Who was this mysterious headless rider? There are many stories but the one that gets told the most is about the young soldier who was deathly afraid of the camels. His fears made it difficult for him to ride the camels, so his fellow soldiers decided they would help. They tied him to the top of the red camel, smack it in the ass, and the camel took off into the desert with the poor soldier tied on top. They did give chase but the camel out ran them and escaped. The red camel, nor its powerless rider, was ever seen again.
Along with the “Red Ghost” and its headless rider, another tale has been told about a ghostly camel and its owner who have been seen wandering the desert as well. A man named Jake bought three of the camels from the Army at a public auction. Even though the animals were every bit as bad-tempered as he was told, Jake affectionately took care of his beasts and had nothing but exceptional things to say about them.
After a long period of mining, Jake finally hit gold, strapped it on his camels, and went to town to sell it. He celebrated at a local saloon and bragged about his findings. A shady character by the name of Paul Adams listened to Jake’s story and followed him back to his camp. Even though Jake was careful not to be followed, Adams stayed on his tail anyway. Adams figured the camp was where the mine was located, so he attacked Jake and murdered him. One of the camels tried to protect Jake but was shot and killed for its efforts. Afterwards, Adams painstakingly looked for the mine but with no avail. One dark and eerie night, Jake’s ghost came riding up on the dead camel, approached Adams and scaring the piss out of him. He took off back to town with Jake riding the camel in tow. This frightening experience had Adams making a full confession to the sheriff. Some have reported seeing a ghost man riding a camel in the desert and wonder if it was Jake and his loyal camel.
The stories of the “Red Ghost” and its headless rider, along with other ghost camels, have been circulating around for decades. They thought the stories ended in 1907 when a prospector said he saw two wild camels roaming the desert, but in 1934 the tales resurfaced. Today, all the Army camels have long since gone, but the legend of the ghost camels and the red camel with its headless rider have been seen roaming the Arizona deserts even today.
