Information AboutRebel Yell |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT REBEL YELL | |
| confederate states army | |
| cultural history of the american civil war | |
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]] Confederate Soldiers used the rebel yell (sometimes called the Pibroch of the Confederacy) as a Battle Cry during the American Civil War . Confederate soldiers would use the yell during charges to intimidate the enemy and boost their own morale, although the yell had other uses. The exact sound of the yell is unknown and the subject of much speculation and debate. Likewise, the origin of the yell is uncertain. USES The yell was used as a typical battle cry during charges, but soldiers used the yell off the field of battle as well. The yell was a source of pride to the soldiers of the Confederacy . Units would compete with one another to see who could produce the best yell. During marches, one unit might begin the yell and the rest of the army column would join in, unit by unit, in a boost of morale. The yell was so feared by the Union that a Union soldier giving the yell as a prank would be shot under the standing orders of the Union Army . Units were nicknamed for their apparent ability to yell during battle. The 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry "Whites Cavalry" were given the Nom De Guerre of "Commanches" for they way they sound during battle. THE SOUND The sound of the yell has been the subject of much discussion and debate. Civil war soldiers, upon hearing the yell from afar, would quip that it was either “ Jackson , or a rabbit,” suggesting a similarity between the sound of the yell and a rabbit’s scream. In media such as movies or video games, the yell is often portrayed as a simple “yee-haw.” The yell has also been described as similar to Native American cries. One description says it was a cross between an "Indian whoop and wolf-howl." Several recordings of possibly accurate yells exist. One, from a newsreel documenting the 75th anniversary of the Battle Of Gettysburg , documents several Confederate veterans performing the yell as a high-pitched "Wa-woo-woohoo, wa-woo woohoo." Given the differences in descriptions of the yell, there may have been several distinctive yells associated with the different regiments and their respective geographical areas. ORIGINS The yell has often been linked to Native American cries. Confederate soldiers may have either imitated or learned the yell from Native American groups, many of whom sided with the Confederacy. The yell has also been associated with hunting cries. Perhaps Confederate soldiers imitated the cries of their hunting dogs. Another plausible source of the rebel yell, advanced by the historian Grady McWhiney , is that it derived from the screams traditionally made by Scottish Highlanders when making a Highland Charge during battle. Also earlier documentation during the Roman conquests of Britain suggest the use of a particualar yell uttered by the northern Celt ic tribes of the region, in conjunction with wearing blue Heather face paint and no clothing. Considering the existence of many differing versions of the yell, it may have multiple origins. CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS
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