"What Was a Rebel Yell?" Topic

A friend of mine had an old record that contained track supposedly recorded by a Confederate veteran. It was suppose to have been recorded on an Edison drum style recorder pre-1920, although I seem to recall it was quite a bit before 1920. The Confederate soldier, when he spoke he, sounded old. He was asked to give a Rebel Yell, which he did. and then he apologized for its quality, stating that to get right, you need to be starving.

I never thought about that recording I heard until now because I read online that no one knows what a Rebel Yell sounded like. This is quite funny if you think about it since it was acknowledged as a "Rebel Yell", a term that had to have been coined by the opposing side (at least, that is how I see it). With that in mind, you'd think someone would have either attempted to write it down (at least how it sounded) or recorded it at some point since many veterans, North and South, would have known it. I am sure a number of Yankees had nightmares about it long after the war was over. Since recording devices existed within 40 years of the war ending, you'd think someone would have been interested in recording it, or preserving it some how.

Was the recording I listen authentic?

E.H.

Well, here is one version from the 75th anniversary of Gettysburg:

YouTube link

My guess is that it probably varied somewhat from state to state and possibly even from unit to unit.

No offense to the old duffers, but hearing that would've hardly put me off my game, unless I was doubled over with laughter.

Doubtless there were variations. In this one YouTube link they also have an aged veteran recreating the Yell. It starts around 2:52, and is a little more unnerving.

So, it's not that "Yee-hah" shout that's so popular in films? Which begs the question; what is that all about?

Doug

It was a high pitched falsetto screech, done individually by each man. Nothing at all like cheering. It was raw emotion of men charging with the firm intent of killing or being killed.

The "Rebel Yell" wasn't actually the loud shrieking yell that you hear, but a series of sounds in a yell, that when made by a group, was indeed a bit of a fearsome sound.

The MOC actually has recordings of veterans doing the rebel yell and has the "Rebel Yell" project going.

This might help… link

Was is not a whiskey brand? Bourbon or sour mash Tennessee style??

I remember reading that a Confederate veteran at the 75th ann. of Gettysburg was asked to give the "Rebel Yell".

He said that he could not because to do it right:

"I need a mouth full of teeth and a belly empty of food."

Cool, thanks for that guys. I think that when hundreds or thousands of voices made that yell in the early morning fog, that would indeed be an unnerving sound.

From what I have read about it, the Rebel Yell was a high pitched yip, which at least initially probably only helped the one making the yipping – but which, over time, came to mean that there was a big bad charge coming

How interesting.

Years ago I read Grady and NacWhinney who amongst other things stated the population of the South was heavily composed of people of Welsh, Scots and Irish descent, I think it was 70% and drawn from Census analysis.

From this they deduced a sort of Celtic ethnic tactical attack doctrine. I found the latter implausible.

But I have to say you could and no doubt still can hear whoops like those on the links above in any traditional music session held in a good Irish pub. So maybe the ethnic baclground of Confederate soldiers as it developed in the South contributed to the sound of the rebel yell?

It's really impossible to say, at this point. All the people who heard it are dead, and all the recordings are from when the people who heard them were elderly, and apparently couldn't do it right anymore.

Some things, you just can't know.
-Kle.

The wikipedia article has a good discussion.

Mainly it was individualistic, not a bit regimented.
DH Hill's famous summation: "Who ever saw a Confederate line advancing that was not crooked as a ram's horn? Each ragged rebel yelling on his own hook and aligning on himself."

I do find it amusing that even though we have recordings of guys (regardless of their being old and frail) who were actually there doing the rebel yell we in all our great knowledge discount them because it isn't what we THINK it should sound like! Typical gamers.

True. A bit like settling on a facing color being "sky blue" without arguing about what season or time of day, or whether or not you personally saw the jackets yourself.

I'll guess we'll have to go with the old timer's best efforts, or get over it.

Nazrat, are you disputing the expertise of TMP bloviators?
Tsk, tsk.

According to Billy Idol, it comes in the midnight hour, and sounds something like, "MORE! MORE! MORE!"

Well, I can hardly dispute anything after somebody uses a beauty like "bloviators", now can I?

"scared the living crap out of yankees"

I think not. Here's what you do when you hear a pack of dogs yipping: Stand Firm (Ye Boys From Maine!), fire until your ammunition is gone, and then charge.

picture

Allen

I have to say enfant perdus's version is creepy and sounds much more ominous than the sort of football game whooping you hear in most movies. It reminds me a little of an Indian war-whoop.

If Billy Idol hasnt got it try visiting a Games Workshop store to hear the WAAAAAUUGGHHHH!on open battle fantasy night.

Maybe a little like Roger Daltry at the end of "Won't get fooled again!" ??? a couple of thousand of that would scare me!!

The Museum of the Confederacy is pushing forward with their project on the Rebel Yell. They recently released a couple of videos on You Tube describing the research and demonstrating the "yell."

Definitely not what we always thought the yell sounded like. And believe me, having heard this version voiced by several hundred reenactors at Cedar Creek last year, I now know why it scared the yanks.

Hastati, that is close to what I heard. I do think each area had its own distinct sound/yell.

Thank you for the YouTube link!

E.H.

I remember this thread from a few years ago as well. One point I made at that time in comparison was an example that happened to us (My Squadron) while in the Far East. We were on an interdiction patrol and raid on a drug transhipment point. We were on line to assault the compound when we came under light machine gun fire from the sentries. The entire patrol started to charge at the double quick. The volume of fire was heavy and we had about 75-100 yards to cross on open ground (Yes we had been compromised). Suddenly a guttural deep roar stated to come out of the patrol. Each man became caught up in the moment and joined in the call. The adrenalin from that charge is something I have marveled at since that day. We talked about it after and no one knew just where it had come from. We had several Civil War buffs in the Squadron who agreed it must have been something akin to the Rebel Yell. We all thought it was primeval and a deep seated embedded natural response. The effect was fantastic along the the cognitive distancing and auditory exclusion associated with close quarter battle. I am sure we scared the hell out of the insurgents.
VR
James Mattes

I always figured it would of sounded like these examples:
YouTube link
YouTube link
YouTube link

Dave :-)

As a psychological weapon the yell ,huzzah (urrah),banzai or ki-yap are all very potent.It is the fury of determined and/or desperate men with an unshakeable focus.Vojvoda thanks for showing us the modern ,very human application still exists. Cinema wise OddBalls charge in kellys heroes (ive been working on the railroad…)and the music blaring hueys of apocalypse now kinda stole the stage.

Hollering has two purposes: it scares the opposiiton and it revs up those hollering.

A Union veteran described hollering during charges as being half of it.

Or the one I like!

YouTube link

"She cried more, more more!

I do find it amusing that even though we have recordings of guys (regardless of their being old and frail) who were actually there doing the rebel yell we in all our great knowledge discount them because it isn't what we THINK it should sound like! Typical gamers.

Ah, no.
I have no idea what it was supposed to sound like, the old guys in the recordings generally say they can't do it right any more.
-Kle.

I have thought for a few years the best way to experience something like a rebel yell is to go to one of the big stadiums in the SEC at night. The Swamp, Death Valley, UT… Wait till the away team is on offense. TV simply doesn't give it justice. The second two and some of the others are pretty impressive, but you have to go to Gainesville for the full experience.

-Stephen

What is missing from the recordings – and those of us listening to those recordings is the setting of being in a combat situation: the adrenalin running, the churning in your stomach, the knowledge that death is out there – you are either waiting for it or running into it; in other words – FEAR. Vojvoda's description captures it well, a combination of fear, rage that comes from that fear and starts in your belly and comes out in a primeval scream.

Those veterans could replicate the sounds in their throats but as they said, you needed a "full set of teeth and an empty belly" to do it right. In other words, you had to be back on the battlefield feeling what they felt in 1863 to experience it from either end. That's hard to do sitting at your computer in the comfort of your own home.

When "Platoon" came out there was much discussion of the realism of the film; most of us vets agreed it was close, but it was missing one thing: the smell. Same thing with the Rebel Yell.