Leek Hook, The

DESCRIPTION: "A brave young raftsmen dwelt among the Potty County pines" in a poor home, but he is sure he can beat Jeff (Davis) in the (Civil) war. He leaves his Sal and sets out for war. She offers a leek hook as a token. He does so well that he kills six generals
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1931 (Shoemaker-MountainMinstrelsyOfPennsylvania)
KEYWORDS: lumbering love separation soldier war
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Shoemaker-MountainMinstrelsyOfPennsylvania, pp. 51-53, "The Leek Hook" (1 text) (pp. 4143 in the 1919 edition)
Korson-PennsylvaniaSongsAndLegends, pp. 351-352, "The Leek-Hook" (1 text)
Roud #7735
NOTES [109 words]: A leek-hook, according to Korson, was an implement attached to boots used to dig up leeks.
The claim that one man could kill six generals is, of course, simply absurd. Most Pennsylvania soldiers served in the Army of the Potomac, fighting against the army of Robert E. Lee. Philip Katcher, The Army of Robert E. Lee, Arms and Armour Press, 1994, pp. 49-52, lists all the general officers who served in the Army of Northern Virginia. He lists 27 of these as killed. Ten more "died," not all of them of wounds. I think Katcher mis-labelled one. Still, one soldier is supposed to have killed almost a sixth of the generals slain during the whole war? - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: KPL351

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