# Civil War Mythology \[pigs eating battlefield dead\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015 "2009-12-12T19:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/41 "2009-12-18T04:00:29Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > I agree. Pet dogs and cats will eat anything, too, if they become hungry enough. Interesting you should say that. Here’s a news article from yesterday: [Police: Dogs Fed on Owner’s Body](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/16/ap/strange/main5988667.shtml) > [@](#): > > The Nebraska Humane Society is seeking a new home for two small dogs that police say fed on their owner’s body after he killed himself. The dogs in question were pugs named Harry and Sally. I particularly like the photo in the article of Harry licking his lips… ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/42 "2009-12-18T04:11:59Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > You learn something new everyday. I thought that pigs/hogs ate only veggies, but if they were in a pinch they would turn to meat.. Nope, solid omnivores. Can make it hard for archaeologists to determine if those few fossilized teeth are man or hog. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/43 "2009-12-18T04:28:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I particularly like the photo in the article of Harry licking his lips… Mrs. Plant, World’s Greatest Dog Trainer, says: They’re Pugs. They do that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/44 "2009-12-18T04:33:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Mrs. Plant, World’s Greatest Dog Trainer, says: > > They’re Pugs. > They do that. > > 🙂 All the effing time. Almost stole a pug who was insufficiently loved by his owners, except my kids and the kid next door made a public scene about bringing him home when he run off. Wife berated them for being so stupid/respectable/obvious. It’s our fault for raising our kids better than we were raised, but I liked that dog, probably better than his owners. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/45 "2009-12-18T04:54:43Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > IIRC, there is mention of a hog eating a baby in _The Grapes of Wrath_. I don’t remember exactly where in the book the reference is and I know the book is a work of fiction. Still, I’m fairly sure the reference wouldn’t be there unless Steinbeck had some knowledge of hogs. A friend of mine from a rural area used to say “We ain’t seen such excitement ‘round here since th’ hog ate baby sister!” ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/46 "2009-12-18T05:26:15Z")
Didn’t hogs also attack and eat the wounded on an aircraft carrier in WW2? I have a dim recollection of reading that somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/47 "2009-12-18T14:09:29Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Didn’t hogs also attack and eat the wounded on an aircraft carrier in WW2? I have a dim recollection of reading that somewhere. “Look! On the port side – speed boats full of pigs. I think they mean to board us, sir.” “My God, man. We’ll all be eaten!” ---
**Author:** ![cedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cedman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/48 "2009-12-18T15:30:22Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Tangential, but the TV show, Deadwood, features human eating hogs rather prominently and is set just after the Civil War. Human eating hogs are also in the movie, Hannibal. IIRC, in the movie “Green Ice” a guy gets fed to a penned up herd of wild hogs. He was thrown in alive after being beaten to a pulp. CedricR. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/49 "2009-12-18T15:32:35Z")
> [@rainy](#): > > “Look! On the port side – speed boats full of pigs. I think they mean to board us, sir.” > “My God, man. We’ll all be eaten!” [Eddie Izzard] Did they bring a flag? [/EI] ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/50 "2009-12-18T15:42:09Z")
> [@rainy](#): > > “Look! On the port side – speed boats full of pigs. I think they mean to board us, sir.” > “My God, man. We’ll all be eaten!” Given time I’ll quit laughing at this. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015/51 "2009-12-18T16:15:20Z")
> [@cedman](#): > > …fed to a penned up herd of wild hogs. He was thrown in alive after being beaten to a pulp. Cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-mythology-pigs-eating-battlefield-dead/521015.md?page=2)