Cover the beans with water and allow to stand overnight, or place the beans in water and bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand at least 2 hours. Drain the Beans, and rinse well. Put 10 c water, the meat, vegetables and seasonings, in a kettle and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the ham hocks from the pan, and add the beans, add additional water as needed. Simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, and adding water if necessary. The beans should be tender in about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the meaty parts of the ham hocks, and discard the bones and skin. Add the meat to the beans the last 10 or 15 min. Of the cooking time. Serve over the rice with hot cornbread, or spoonbread. (recipe posted)