Rebel Yell

Confederate soldiers used the rebel yell 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.

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."

Related Topics:
Jackson - Native American

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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."

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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.

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