The National tribune., 1910-06-16

| ference and that one Is /. 'oThe yell
of our friends, the Enemy, was one
never to be forgotten. Imagine a bat
the line with fixed bayonets, approach
ing on a double-quiek, and every last
man yelling kee-yee-kee-yea' at the
top of his voice, and continuing clear
up to the Union line.i and you have an
idea of what rebel yell was for and
like" 10
The Rebel Vel at Gettysburg.
]. N Hubbard, Grayson. Ky, writes:
Il can say that We could distinguish
the rebel yell from the Yankee veil
The rebel yell was shrill The Union
men seemed to have greater lung power
than the Confederates. We have often
heard that yell. The boys would listen
moment, and someone would remark,
That is the rebels and there would be
an adjustment of cartridge and cap
boxes and a hurried preparation to re-
ceive the Johnnies with open arms.
I'VE have often heard that yell sud
denly cease at the report of a volley of
musketry. The Army of the Potomac
remembers the yell on the night of the
second day at Gettysburg. First, the
old Third and Fifth Corps away around
on the left set up a cheer that was
caught up by their comrades and passed
from the extreme left to the right of
our lines, and then taken up by the
Confederates and passed back to the
right of their line at the Round Tops.
The writer was a member of Wads-
worth's Division of the First Corps,
which no doubt heard the rebel yell as
often as any division in the Union
army The losses sustained by that di-
vision attest that fact"
a High FaIsettO Yell.
F. S. White, bugler, 146th N Y, $50
lSecond avenue, Detroit, Mich, writes:
THE rebel yell was in the high fall
setto voice. much like the scream of
Indians or women. Ours was simply
grand hurrah in base or baritone
voice, not at all like the other shrill
scream.
In the evening of the second day at
the battle of the Wilderness, perhaps
about o'clock, the rebels began a yell
on the right of their line, which ran all
the way up to their left which from
the sound appeared to be on somewhat
higher ground. By this we could To-
cate them exactly. The line seemed to
me about three miles long. When they
finished our boys took it up, and passed
1t down good and strong all the way to
our left. I never heard anything like
| it before or since"
The Old Boys Know.
T. F. Leonard. Captain, Co. G, I'd VT,
Sixth Corps, Austin, Mimi, writes:
Il have heard both the yell of the
rebels and the cheer of the Union men
many times, and as 1 recollect it we
could easily tell which side was charg-
| ing by the difference in the sound. The
| rebels yelled regular yell and our
| boys had a broader cheer, quite differ
ent from the yell of the enemy. / know
all the old boys remember that there
was quite difference in the sound"
As Prairie Wolf to Bull.
Alexander Bird, one of Sherman's
veterans from, Chattanooga to the sea,
154th n. Y, Ellicottville, N. Y, writes:
II say most emphatically, yes; there
was difference between rebel yell
and Yankee cheer; as much differ
ence as there is between the -ki-yi of a
prairie wolf and the below of a Dur
ham bull. The rebel yell7was on "a high
pitched key, while the Union cheer was
easily distinguished as being a deep,
heavy roar" 1(7
Once Heard Never Forgotten.
A. H. Corwin. Co. A, I'd US Sharp
shooters, Peconic. N. Y, writes!ai
Was the rebel yell different from
the battle cry of the Union army? Well,
] should say go. My, experience was
that one could not be mistaken for
the other. Many times while listening
to the battle raging around us n com
rade would say something, indicating
that by their yell the rebels were max
ing a charge or dash on our lines, and
that our boys were ready for them by
an answering cheer. The difference
WAS unmistakable- Who once having
heard the rebel yell will ever forget
it?'
Could Tel Them by Their Yell.
Lyman E. Stowe. I'd Mich, Detroit,
Mich, writes:
Il wish to say in reply to the query
that there was a difference between a
rebel yell and a Yankee yell. A trained
ear could almost have picked out the
State troops by the sound of their yell,
providing the regiments were made up
of natives of the State. We had in the
Union army whole regiments of Ger
mans, Irish, Scotch, etc. My own regi-
ment, the I'd Mich. had two Dutch
companies. The rest were almost pure
natives of the State. We were twice
brigaded with what was known as Mich
igan brigades, yet each time there were
in the brigade one or two regiments of
foreign-born men, and we could easily
tell the location of the regiments of our
brigade by their yells, even of our own
State troops. This may have been more
noticeable to members of my regiment
than in general, for we had many hunt
ers and fine shots in the regiment. Even
the members of our Dutch companies
were extra fine shots and men well
adapted for scouting and sharpshooting,
for which details of squads, company
or the whole regiment were often made.
When on such duty it often became
necessary to locate troops by the sound
of their voices when uttering their war
| cries. When in the Wilderness Grant
and Meade were contemplating the next
move, the victorious cry of the boys in
blue told them ii was time to put certain
forces in motion.
"Comrade Whites memory is dimmed
or he would remember how more than
| once he stood with his hand to his ear,
| listening to note who were the victors
| in the distant battle. .--
Our good comrade, John McElroy,
whom all recognize as a historian of
rare merit, sometimes when speaking
of various battles says in words to this
effect: There Is none but an American
army could stand before such storm
| of shot and shell and push back the
| enemy at the point of cold steel That
is a great tribute to American fortitude
and bravery. But did our historian for
get that this might be taken as an in
suit by the many brave comrades of
foreign birth in our ranks, individually,
| in companies, in regiments and bri-
gades? Not at all. He recognized the
| fact that that class Of men who became
soldiers from choice. from the lowest
private to the ranking General, are
men of superior power and adaptabil-
ty. Tho born on foreign soil, they are
Americans, and quickly fell into Amer
ican customs and ways, tho many of
them. like my Comrade Beck, who was
born in Germany, soldier in the Ger
man army, stepped off from the boat