howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas where
we are in the middle of a cold front, temps only in the low 90s today!
I've been talking about the cattle drives of the Old West and all of the
"less than fun" experiences which the cowboys had to deal with and
some not even surviving their journeys North.
But today I wanted to talk about one of the most important aspects
of the trail, at least to the men, and that is the only thing on the trail
which represented any comfort at all, as well as nourishment and
rest..the Chuck wagon.
all photos from atexashistory.org
The Chuck wagon was the heart of the operation and the most
important piece of equipment where all the Drover's personal
belongings such as bed rolls and guns were stored.
Well as far as the guns.. they were worn at night by the cowboys on
night watch because of cattle rustlers and also if they knew they were
approaching and would be interacting with Indians.
Generally speaking the cattle drive bosses didn't want the cowboys
carrying their .45's while herding the cattle in case there was an
accidental discharge which could in turn cause a stampede.
The Chuck wagon was positioned at a leading point a mile or two in
front of the herd to stay out of the dust and protect it in case there
was a stampede. I mean that was their "lifeline" so they protected it.
The cooks or "Cookie" as they were typically called also had an
extremely tough job to cook in any and all types of weather conditions
of snow, rain, hail, blistering heat, dust.... power outages, lol just
teasing.
In the Chuck wagon important tools and parts were also carried
like Farrier tools and tack for taking care of the horses, harnesses,
repairs to the wagons and so forth. Firewood was carried underneath
the wagon on hides hung across the bottom.
The canvas top was treated with linseed oil, making it waterproof so
the men's gear and bedrolls wouldn't get soaked. One important
tool was a block and tackle rig, kinda like a modern winch for pulling
the wagons out if they got stuck in mud or on rocks.
The cooks had to guard that Chuck wagon with their lives against
thieves. Bytheway, the cowboys lived by a strict code of ethics and
if those rules weren't followed then the consequences were swift
and severe. One of the rules was justice, patience and tolerance.
But if a cattle rustler tried to steal cattle or horses or God forbid
anything from the Chuck wagon..that person was outright hanged
from the nearest tree! Cowboy justice. swift and simple.
Ok I'm flat out of time here, I gotta run so I'll continue this topic
tomorrow with details on how the Cookies cooked and some great
recipes.
Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy Texas
the gentleman redneck
ps- ya know, you might just be a redneck if:
you're still holding on to Confederate money because you think
the South will rise again!