the rebel yell or the confederate flag doesn't have any thing to do with any racist group. the flag is to honor our confederate ancestors and what they fought and died for, a honorable cause, the war was not over slaves but states rights any of you who have a high degree of education should be able to find the truth, which by the way you will not find in the american history books or any class room, groups of people all thrugh history have not liked each other over skin color, did not the white race do this to the native american,but what about slaves, black people still own black pepole in africa, i don,t see no big fuss from any one about this, were is the naacp??? i am part native american and my ancestors fought for the confederate side. i am proud of it ! i am also a member of the sons of confederate veterans and i fly my flag every day at my home to pay respect to them boys of the south. thank you.

As a Canadian, I find the history fascinating and quite stirring to hear the Rebel Yell. But I am perplexed and dismayed at the number of people who defend the indefensible: the ownership of one group of people by another. Are you also proud of Jim Crow? Of the KKK? Of lynching? And the systemic and systematic abrogation of human rights. The racism in America cannot be expunged until its people state, unequivocally, that slavery was an abomination to humanity.

It sounds like the audience on the Daily Show.

My great-great-grandfather fought on both sides of the Civil War, so I imagine he had a rare perception of the Rebel Yell. I remember reading somewhere years ago that no one really knew what it sounded like. Obviously the person who wrote that was not familiar with the Smithsonian. Thank you very much for this.

The War Between the States was complicated. In the beginning secession was definitely over slavery, since the 7 deep South states that immediately seceded happened to be those with a plantation economy and the largest number of slaves. After Fort Sumter, however, when Lincoln chose to make it a war against the South, the other "slave states" had to make a choice. Four decided to side with the Confederacy and two more - Maryland and Missouri - might have seceded if they had not been prevented by Union troops. Kentucky split down the middle, and as to West Virginia only a small number of counties in the northwestern part of Virginia were actually pro-Union. Nearly 2/3rds of the counties the occupying Union forces included in West Virginia had actually voted for secession. Whether or not secession was right, is a moot point. The average Confederate fought because his home was being invaded. That is all the reason needed to take up arms.

I thought Billy Idol answered that question a long time ago: the answer is "MORE! MORE! MORE!"

Thanks to the Smithsonian for keeping a bit of our American history alive. The average Confederate soldier was hungry, under supplied, outnumbered, outgunned but never outfought. One account I read of the Rebel Yell was the yell was a result of sheer terror & desperation - from a bunch of starving, poorly supplied men who had to fight a much larger, well equipped and well trained army. That yell struck fear into the hearts who heard it and must have helped sustain the Rebels - account after account shows the bravery of these men who served their country's call to defend their homes, their wives, their sweethearts and their states. They lost the war and ever since, the Republic known as the United States of America has been slowly dissolving with mere remnants remaining today. It won't be long and everything our founding fathers envisioned and the Constitution they crafted will be no more. God save America. God bless Dixie.

Thank you Smithsonian for posting this video! Wow! What a thrill to see and hear those Confederate veterans! This clip is really cool!

Excellant....

I am very proud of my Southern heritage. It is awesome to actually hear what the famed "Rebel Yell" actually sounded like. I live in Missouri which is actually a Southern State, although we are left out of the group 99% of the time. Like several states, we had men who fought for both the Union and the Confederacy. Missouri actually voted to succeed from the Union, but within several weeks of the beginning of the Civil War, it was Union occupied. My great, great, great, great Uncle, from Greene County, Missouri, fought for the Confederacy and was captured shortly after the war began. He spent the remainder of the war in yankee prisons for refusing to "Swallow the Dog". For those of you who don't know what that is-- To Swallow The Dog is to take an oath of allegance to the Union. All of my ancestors from Missouri fought for the Confederacy, and I couldn't be more proud.

The opening paragraphs of the Mississippi secession statement:

"In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.

Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin."

Not quite sure how one can argue they didn't rebel over slavery.

I'm a proud member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and had seven ancestors that fought in the War Between the States. Thanks for preserving the Rebel Yell. "We are Southerners...we make no apologies for our ancestors...this is who we are...our culture and our heritage."

So many accounts of the Southern Battle cry discribe a yapping and keening. I believe the first officer gives a close resemblance If you had a thousand voices not shouting in accord the result would be two short calls causing the yapping sound below the high pitched sustained keening , one long howl.. It had to be a most un nerving sound if you were waiting to recieve an assault. This is a wonderful piece of History. You will also note the Southern men of that time dont speak much differently than Southern men today.I am assuming this took place in Richmond?.... deo vindice

As a S.C.V. "Bonnie Blue Society and U.D.C. "Gold Medal Award" nationally awarded published author of "Georgia Confederate 7,000" - Books I-II-III & IV I would like to share this additional research on the "Rebel Yells" from "Georgia Confederate 7,000" Book II - pg. 11.

This author has found ten different rebel yell variations that have been documented: Nine of the yells are found in Mary Johnson's (daughter C.S.A. Major John W. Johnson) 1911 book "The Long Roll."

Arguably, the first "Rebel Yell" was done by C.S.A. General Edmund Kirby Smith's forces at the 1st Battle of Bull Run and is described as, "There was the enemy, they say the enemy, they yelled....without premeditation, without cooperation, each man to himself with an involuntary, individual, indescribably fierce, high shrill, wild expression of anger and personal opinion.

Here are four of the ten listed Rebel Yells:

(1) Yaai, Yai ....Yaai, Yaai, Yaai, Yaai!! - pg. 93
(2) Yaaaaih, Yaai .... Yaaai yaaaah, yaaaaih!!! - pg. 212
(3) Yaaaih! ... Yaaaih! - pg. 367
&
(4) Wuh, wuh, ... wwuh, whooo! - pg. 49