Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-09-09
Sam Cobb Sat on Hot Pork.

Sam Cobb Sat on Hot Pork.
A. j. Coleman, a well-known politi-
clan and citizen Of Platte City, was u
visitor at the Office Of Internal Revenue
Collector Withers last week. Mr.. Cole.
man was member Of Shelby's brigade
during the war and his visit put Capt.
| William Hickman, Of the revenue de-,
partment, in a reminiscent mood. and
he had half dozen good stories to tell
of the incidents that took place while
he and Mr.. Coleman were with Shelby.
The best story he had was this:
1T was during the darkest days Of
the Confederacy," said Captain Hick-
man. ''Shelby's brigade was down In
the southern portion Of Arkansas and,
| supplies were very short. There was
| food in the country, but 1T had to be;
| taken in a sly manner, for the orders'
| against foraging were very strict. The
| beef we were getting was about the
| worst a white man ever had to tackle,
and it was simply impossible to keep
the boys inside the lines after dark
| They would get out and forage for,
fresh meat, and they got 1T. The hard
in the swamps three miles from camp
there were plenty Of fat hogs.
while we were there we were join
ed by a number of Texas soldiers, and
they were known as the Texas mess.
Mr.. Coleman was one. One Of the 9th
ers was Sam Cobb, a great, strapping
fellow, full of fun and a lover Of good
pork. The Texas mess did not realize
what strict orders there were against
taking fat hogs, and so one night they
slipped out delegation and captured
a porker that weighed about 200
pounds. He was properly slain and
the fresh pork was buried in the Texas
tent deep down in the ground under the
bed. After they got it in camp they
were scared and did not touch it for
two days.
I'VE heard what was going on, and
the night they cooked it we decided to
have some fun. One of the boys dress
ed up as an old farmer, with long.
! white beard and I buckled on my
sword, and together we walked up to
the tent of the Texas boys. In the big
kettle the pork was cooking. They saw
us coming and took the kettle off the
fire and set it on the ground near the
door. We walked up and told the boys
| that the old farmer had lost a fine hog,
and General Shelby had ordered the
camp searched. They We're willing. of
course. to have us hunt and assured us
they had taken no hog. We started into
tho tent. and l saw Sam Cobb spread
out his long coat tails and sit down on
| what appeared to be box. 1t was the
kettle of hot pork. He was trying to
hide it from us.
Hello. Captain he cried as he fidg-
eted about. Just hunt about and see
what you can find,' he added as he
shifted position again.
I'VE pretended to hunt about the
tent, but all the time we We're watching
Cobb and wondering how long he could
sit on that hot kettle Of pork. Poor
Sam! the sweat streamed down his
face, but he resolutely wiped it off and
held to his seat. Then he began to
fidget The kettle was hot, and when
ever he would move the steam would
rise like the tiny exhaust Of an engine
all about him.
I'VE were nearly dying to laugh but
it was getting serious for Sam Cobb
Finally in his fidgeting he moved the
iron lid Of the kettle and the imprison-
ed steam arose all about him like a
cloud. l shall never forget the express
sion of Cobb's face as he realized that
he was exposed. He looked at me with
the most appealing expression on his
face l ever saw. and, while he believed
firmly he would at once be arrested for
stealing the hog, he could not help re-
marking:
by ganny, can't stay there any
longer. Here's your hog
I'VE burst out laughing and they saw
it was only a joke. Everybody had a
good laugh at it except poor Cobb. It
was no joke for him, and he swOre that
from that time on he would never help
hide another pound Of pork while in the
| army.
".After the war was concluded Cobb
returned to Texas and died there some
years since. Mr.. Coleman came north
and has lived in Platte City for years.
His call at the office and the stories we
told made me recall the story Of how
Sam Cobb tried to hide the kettle of
pork. City Journal.
| What Pa Wanted.
Many ludicrous episode enlivened
the lives of the soldiers during the Civ.
| II War and ono told on n To,lcfo v,,o :, &.