The Rebel Yell

[BettyO]

Wonderful, John! I have also heard that this "yell" derived from various sources - from an old Fox Hunting cry to that of southern men chasing racoons through the swamps at night with hounds - and that the cry was used to urge the dogs on.... seems to me though that it would have scared the animals being hunted off!

There is a wonderful book about the Rebel Yell titled "Dammit, Holler 'em Across!" - The History of the Rebel Yell by Terry Elliott - it also has a companion CD and describes the history of the cry and what it sounded like with different variations state by state. For instance, a Virginia Rebel Yell would sound starkly different from that say of a Florida Rebel Yell! This makes for a facinating study - and I had always wondered if different regions produced a different cry.