When Turkish Camels Ruled the American Wild West

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 23 June 2019)

U.S. Army Camel Corps click here for background.



//Ed. Note: the 'Storyline' for "Southwest Passage":

Edward Beale is in charge of finding a shorter trail across the American 
desert and to also test the practicality of using camels in the west in 
this 3-D western. (An actual test once conducted in the Big Bend area 
of Texas.) Clint MacDoanld, a bank robber one jump ahead of a posse, 
joins the caravan by posing as a doctor. His sweetheart, Lilly, also 
comes along and signs on. There is a whole lot of footage of the 
grueling trek across the desert, but it begins to move when mule-
skinner Matt Carroll becomes aware of MacDonald's true profession 
and he wants the gold from the bank robbery. The Apaches have 
shied away from attacking the train, because of their fear of the 
camels, but a camel dies and the jig is up as they lose their fear 
and here they come. //


                 Hacı Ali - Hi Jolly


The exploits of Ottoman camel shepherd Hacı Ali, known in Arizona
as 'Hi Jolly' when his unusual name was mispronounced, gained fame
in films - "Southwest Passage" (1954) - and in the comics - Lucky Luke
(Red Kit) (1947). 

Dr. Ali Sönmez, an academician at 18 Mart University in Çanakkale
has researched 'Hi Jolly' by looking through Ottoman archives for
documents related to him.  According to Dr. Sönmez's research, in the
aftermath of the Mexican War (1846-1848), America acquired
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.  In
order to develop this mountainous desert area, the American government
decided to use camels, known throughout the world as the 'ships of the
desert'.




In 1855, with permission from Congress, an American delegation led
by Henry C. Wayne went to Turkey to ask Sultan Abdülmecid for help.
The Sultan agreed and between 1855 and 1857 more than 70 Turkish
camels were sent to America.  But with the outbreak of the American
Civil War in 1861 some of the camels were sold and the camel unit
was disbanded. 

With regard to 'Hi Jolly', Dr. Sönmez explained that "the best known of
the 5 shepherds who went with the camels to America was Hacı Ali,
an Izmir Greek who converted to Islam.  For years Hacı Ali served as
a camel rider in the American camel unit  but since the Americans
couldn't pronounce his name properly it became 'Hi Jolly'.  Hacı Ali,
who given name was Philıp Tedro, settled in Quartzite, Arizona and
died there in 1902.  A monument to 'Hi Jolly' was erected in Quartzite
in 1935 and he is remembered there every 10 January with a festival
in his name."

 


                            Hmmm, coincidence?...