It is 1847 as Edward Beale (Stanley Lachman) and Kit Carson (William Reynolds) ride through the southwestern deserts. It is difficult terrain but Beale claims that camels would be ideal. He intends to lobby Congress to buy some camels from the Middle East. Back in Washington, he convinces Senator Jefferson Davis (Harry Fleer), who promises to get funding. Unfortunately, the rest of Congress is unconvinced. Years pass. In 1853, Davis is Secretary of War and is able to push funding for a Camel Corps. Beale hears the good news from David Dixon Porter (Ed Hinton). Porter explains how he will go to the Middle East to purchase camels and deliver them to Texas. After that, it will be up to Beale. Eventually, the camels arrive and Beale uses them on a trek from Texas to California. He has high hopes but then the Civil War! The War Department has no use for a camel corps and wants to cut costs on this unneeded program.
This is a fairly accurate retelling of the Camel Corps. After California was secured a second time during the Mexican American War, Kit Carson and Ed Beale rode east together as shown. The role of George Crossman as the chief proponent for camels and the man who likely bent Jeff Davis' ear on the subject is given to Ed Beale. David Porter did sail to the Levant for camels and landed them at Indianola on the Texas coast. Hadji Ali was the chief cameleer and was called "Hi Jolly," Beale mapped a new route across the southwestern deserts with the aid of camels. The Camel Corps was disbanded and the camels sold on account of the Civil War. Overall, good history to be had.
The story is almost a documentary in style. Both Beale and Mary, his wife, break the fourth wall and narrate on several occasions. That was very strange for a half-hour show. Being only half an hour, there is a lot of compression. The narration is clearly to pack in more information given the time constraints. Even so, recommended.
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