Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-07-13
The Rebel Yell,

Inc Rebel Yell.
Hundreds of times, after the massing
of green men in the late war camps,
came the suggestion to ''send our boys
at 'em with the bayonet and the rebel
yell." Then ever followed the query.
What was this rebel yell? What was
it like?'
No one has yet heard satisfactory
or at all descriptive answer. The con-
currence of reply is that it was fierce,
thrilling, sustained shrek, that welled
up from mems hearts to their threats,
under the nervous strain of the charge;
that it was like nothing heard before
or since; and that its effect was often
bloodcurdling to men who stood the
hail of shot and the CLINT of steel with
never tremor of eyelid. But that it
beggared description is proved in the
absolute absence to this day, of any
successful attempt either by writer or
orator, to give his audience a faint con-
ception of what this spontaneous but
uncanny cry really was.
Almost as these lines were written,
the subject was discussed with a vet
eran major general who captured his
first flag at Chapultepec and left leg
upon field of interfraternal strife.
This old hero is not only Il Bayard, but
a philosopher and student of men as
well. He has theory that, leaving
aside cause of originating sentiment
and clan, the rebel yell was produced
by peculiar nervous construction Of
Southern men, upon threats differently
formed those of yelling Northern
masses, aided by climatic and atmos-
pheric causes. The foundation of the
Generals theory is the vocal differ
ences of the Carolinian, Louisianian
and Georgian and the men of North,
East and Northwest. But it's REPUTATION
is in a fact, for the border troops, Mary
landers, Missourians and kentuckians
speak differently from those named.
Yet the hard-fghting boys of Prices
Western army curdled the whiskers OF
the tree tops with this same yell, and
the Maryland line sent it echoing bach.
to them from the Potomac.
SO, as it's origin is shrOuded in myS-
terry, must the strange war cry of the
South remain undescribed. The future
historian will describe it, and it's re-
sulting effect, quite as glibly as the
present ones are doing, and with as lit
tie truth to nature. For, as seeing IL
believing" so, most emphatically In
this case, is hearing, and only hearing,
understanding.
Sometimes at Confederate veterans
reunions an attempt is made to repro
duce the real, simon-pure rebel yell,
but, strange is Il may Seem, the very
men who made it and used it to such
advantage for four long and trying
years only reproduce something like it.
This fact would seem to show that the
real distillation Of pluck, nervousness
and fury can only be perfected under
glowing heat Of the real charge.
There is no shade Of doubt in the
mind of any living johnnie Reb" that,
could it have been 1'embalmed" and
to Gen. Shafter, good,
genuine, old time rebel yell would have
done more real service in Cuba than all
the insurgent rifles ever did. But
L0ere was the LuU, Luz w ucclcL anu
Fitz Lee could not have taught it,
even in their own practical singing
schools. SO the war had to be ended
with the crack of Krag-Jorgensens and
the diapason of hearty, deep-chested
American hurrahs.
But the query as to what that other
war cry is has yet had no satisfying
answers. Could the most cunning
brush catch and hold sound, the "rebel
yell' might be reproduced for this gen
Grafton. AS it cannot, the famous old
war cry must go down the ages as a
name-and an almost meaningless
name only. 1t never has been, it never
will be, adequately described, for it
cannot be, until the causes and sur
roundings amid which it was born live
again for the narrator and for his list
ener.-Charleston News and Courier.