The Legend of Ole Whiskers Catfish

During the Civil War before the Union seized the Mississippi in 1863, Texans drove cattle into the Confederacy for the use of the Confederate Army. In October, 1862, a Union naval patrol on the southern Mississippi River captured 1,500 head of Texas longhorns, which had been destined for Confederate military posts in Louisiana . The permanent loss of the main cattle supply after 1863 was a serious blow to the Confederate Army.

Back in those days, and is just as true today, the trail boss always hired an experienced “cookie” to man his chuck wagon. By the way, the chuck wagon was created by Mr. Charles “Chuck” Goodnight. Anyway, this particular chuck-wagon cook was extremely temperamental. So, when the Union Naval patrol took the cattle, the ol’ cookie became outraged. Unknown to his boss he rode his chuck-wagon into the shallow part of the river and heaved about four dozen sticks of dynamite at the patrol boats. The sailors weren’t expecting this barrage coming from a chuck-wagon. The Union patrol consisted of about twelve boats which the ol’ cookie got rid of with his dynamite.

He also started a stampede with the longhorns which were as mad as the cook. Coming back to shore he noticed about a hundred pounds of catfish that he had inadvertently killed. He loaded the catfish onto the back of his wagon and prepared what legend has it as the first fish fry ever held on a cattle drive! History never recorded his name, but we know that because he had a really large white mustache the cowboys nicknamed him Ole Whiskers.

Well, we only use farm raised, grain fed catfish along with the most famous side dishes this side of heaven. We know you will love our fare as much as we love serving you….just remember Ole Whiskers ‘cause we suspect he is up there cooking his heavenly catfish.