Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-01-06
YANKEE AND REBEL YELLS

AS every active soldier of 1Sel-C5
did not participate in all the battles
nor in every campaign. consequently
those battles that were fought on
distant fields and their histories are
not equally interesting. But every
soldier present In the many battles
Of importance that wero fought dur
ing that desperate conflict had oc-
casion TO participate In charges, 20
utter the Confederate yell or TO lis
ten 10 the Yankee cheer. Tho sub
ject is OF especial and personal in
terest to every active soldier on both
sides wherever he NAV have been
located.
There was a marked difference be-
tween the yells of the two opposing
armies. but what that difference was
is rarely understood.
Some years aeo ! contributed an
article to the Century Magazine on
this subject, and what | shall have
TO say now differs but little except
In phraseology from what I wrote
for the Century.
Among the Incidents OF active SER
vice there we're probably no events
more thrilling or more exciting to
the soldier than those of the charge,
for in it's dash there was displayed
not only the boldness and fury Of
the occasion, bat OF necessity much
Of the savagery of war.
II was in the charge that the war
whoop' was heard the savage yell
with which men wild in battle en-
deavored to send terror to the minds
of their enemy. To secure this end,
when no secrecy was required. a bold
defiant yell was Of the greatest value
both for It's effect upon the command
In action and the deprcssing influ-
ence upon the enemy.
Southerners have always been pos.
srssed OF unhounded enthusiasm and
ardor. They are considered hot
headed and hot-hlooded. Among the
rank ard file as well as amone tn
Officers Of the Confederate armies
were men OF intelligence, birth. posi-
ton and distinction in the commit
mites in which thev lived and who
were proud In peace as we'll as cour-
ageors and fearless. These peculi-
arities Of birth. character and tenn
permanent toeether with the fact thar
they were chiefly an agricultural peo-
pie, inhabiting a broad expalse OF
thinly settled country and not con
fined generally TO the narrow limits
of city and town life. had mach to
do with the development OF their
soldierlv qualities as we'll as OF their
capacity for yelling.
Life In cur southern country,
where men often worked az some
distance apart and In houses apart
but In hearing distance. had much
to do with developing and streng-
theninc their voices for high and
prolonged notes. A wide range TO
their vocal efforts was frequently
required.
The voices Of women as wei, as OF
men we're often utilized for long
distance calls" II may be amusing
TO note the difference in intonation
which was usually exhibited by the
sexes When n man had occasion to
summon anyone from a distance, the
prolonged tone was placed on the
first note. the attention note, the
emphasis on the second: thus. 'O--h
John II a female called. the pro-
longed tone and the emphasis were
both placed on the last note. thus,
You. JOHNNY"
Hollooing or yelling TO dogs or
cattle on the plantation. with the
accompanying reverberations from
hilltops and across plains. were fam
iliar sounds throughout the farming