Douglas the camel

Jefferson Davis, who had ascended to the position of United States Secretary of War in 1853, was a strong proponent of the program, and used his political influence to make the experiment happen.

According to newspaper accounts in Alabama and Mississippi, planters sought to experiment with the camels for agriculture work.

[1] Though the men tried to treat Old Douglas like a horse, the camel was known to break free of any tether, and was eventually allowed to graze freely.

Of Douglas's killer, Bevier reportedly said, “I refused to hear his name, and was rejoiced to learn that he had been severely wounded".

[5] Another commonly attributed theory is that Douglas was eaten during the Siege at Vicksburg by famished Confederate soldiers.