The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-04-05
TIE REBEL YELL,
1t Was Originally the Battie-Cry Of the
Tennessee CherOkees.
st. Louis Republic.

st. Louis Republic.
After a superficial research in
The "Genesis of the Rebel Yell" +"
our sometimes sciolistic friends,
who write American historical es-
saws for eastern readers, have in
clined to The opinion that it is a
Texas modification of the CULTURAL
COmanche whoop.
This is clearly mistake, based
on insufficient information. The
yell was heard III the Texan war
for independence. 1t came clear
and strong from the throats of the
men who followed Houston at San
Jacinto, but that was not its gene.
sis by any means. The Texans of
that day were all, or nearly all, ma
lives of other Western States, aud
their war cry was part Of the
equipment they carried to Texas
with them.
All the reliable evidence shows
that the rebel yell was a contribu-
ton of the Great West TO the cause
of American freedom in the rebel
lion against England. Before the
revolution a.handful of Virginians
had pushed across the AIleghenies
and built at Wantaga, in what is
now Tennessee, one Of the first
outposts OF American civilization
in the then unknown West lying
between The Alleghenies and the
Pacific. They held IN check $4,000
Cherokee warriors who were inclt-
ed by The English TO attack the re-
bells of the seaboard in the rear,
and when these eastern rebels
seemed hopelessly demoralized,
when CornwaIlis, with Tayleton
and Ferguson under him, had cut
lhe confederacy III TWO, 'lhe rebel
yell' was heard for the first time
east OF The mountains. 1t was the
accompaniment of style of fight
ing with which the English regu-
lars were entirely unfamillar-the
massing of a small force against
the weakest point of scattered
opposing force, and then, without
regard to the number of he oppo-
sing force, headlong rush and The
wild charging cry which has since
become memorable as "the rebel
Yell"
When the brave Col, Ferguson
retreated to Kings mountain and
intrenched himself there in what
he supposed to be an impregnable
position, his second in command,
Du Peyster, SAID 10 him, as the
Western men charged up The
mountain under the Calling fire OF
his superior force: There are
those yelling devils again !"
Six hours later The yelling rebels
from the west had won the battle
of Kings Mountain, captured lis
surviving defenders, and turned
the tide of the revolution back
against England, sending Corn
wallis in confused retreat to the
surrender at Yorktown.
There is no doubt at all OF the
genesis of the rebel yell as it was
heard at Kings Mountain. 1t was
the war-cry of men as brave as
ever died in defens" of hOmes-the
Tennessee Cherokees, whose Ian
guage has made the rivers and
mountains of their old hunting
grounds musical with names that
are as solt as Italian.
With the possible exception Of
the Natchez, they were the most
intelligent and least cruel of North
American Indians, holding the UNI
iversal Indian law OF retaliation,
but more capable than any others
Of the Indian stock of iorgiving
injuries.
Under Oconostate and Old Tar
sci they made a heroic tight
against The westward advance OF
civilization, and their battIe.cry
was heard IN defense of Tennessee
soil at The first tight on Lookout
mountain as detianlly as at the
second. 1t was turned against
them BY the white Tennessceans