Black-Eyed Peas, Tabasco, and Good Luck General Sherman

In Texas, there is a great tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Eve/Day. The origin of the tradition has been forgotten by some though. Belive it or not, we can thank the arrogance of General Wm. T. Sherman. General Sherman is shamefully remembered for his 1864 March to the Sea in the midst of the War of Northern Aggression, during which he burned the conquered city of Atlanta to destroy supplies and provisions stashed throughout the city to replenish the Union Army. As he continued his destruction, Sherman murdered women, children, and other innocent non-combatants. But his arrogance was evident. Edmund McIlhenney and his family were forced to leave their plantation on Avery Island, LA. When they returned after the war, the only survivor of the devestation was 12 cayenne pepper plants. Evevery drop of Tabasco produced since 1868 is a descendant of those 12 plants. Since Sherman was all about the death and destruction of innocent people, he burned their crops along the way. For some reason, he was compassionate towards their cattle though. As a result, he spared the cowpeas, also known as Black-Eyed Peas. He never imagined people would choose to eat cowpeas, rather than starve to death. The troops Sherman led into these unspeakable acts were all former slaves from northern states freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, but only because of their willingness to take up arms against the Confederacy. They would gain fame as the Buffalo Soldiers, when they executed similar tactics under General Philip Sheridan in the destruction of the Indians of the Texas Panhandle. So join me in the days ahead, as we sprinkle Tabasco on Black-Eyed Peas and thumb our noses at the arrogance of General Sherman in anticipation of prosperity in the year ahead.

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