The Voice of Johnny Reb

[Secesh]

Hello all,
Found this link online and thought I'd share it...Click on "Real Media" - here's the real McCoy! It's interesting to hear his Southern dialect and period pronunciation...Best regards.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4600415

[Dignann]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Some recordings of the Rebel Yell were posted a few years agon on the following thread. Most of the links are dead, however:

Rebel Yell Recordings

Here are links that work:

http://www.26nc.org/History/Rebel-Yell/rebel-yell.html

http://www.stonewallbrigade.com/articles_rebelyell.html

http://www.mgilleland.com/feb2004.htm

Eric

[PvtRJBrown]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Absaloutely Chilling! I listened to both and was amazed to hear both from the mouths of the grand old boys. Just goes to make you appriciate them and what they went through even more.

[Pious Jeems]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Just found yesterday, one ole reb and modern technology duplicates that one voice to what one company might sound like as it attacked. Heck, I continue to wonder what a regiment would sound like if this was one company.
From History Publishing Company:

http://www.historypublishingco.com/articles.html

http://donbracken.com/downloads/rebel-yell-2007.mp3

It will make your hair stand up on the back of your neck. My Great Uncle would call to his hunting dogs or give a similar yep to encourage them on the hunt. He would always have a bottle in his coat pocket to loosen up his vocal cords.
Needless to say he would take numerous tastes to insure his voice was right.
Good times there are not forgotten.

[Annette Bethke]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Hello all,
It's interesting to hear his Southern dialect and period pronunciation...

It almost sounds New England.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Hallo!

"It almost sounds New England."

IMHO, well it should- at least an "English-ish" ring to it as what we now consider "Southern" did not really fully develop/evolve until after the advent of radio in the 1920's.... ;) :)

Curt
Heretic Mess

[markj]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Hello all,
Found this link online and thought I'd share it...Click on "Real Media" - here's the real McCoy! It's interesting to hear his Southern dialect and period pronunciation...Best regards.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4600415

More biographical details about Julius Howell (February 1846 - June 1948):

http://www.scv.org/JuliusHowell.php

Julius Howell's precise unit ID seems to be something of a mystery. The NPR article rather unhelpfully indicates it was "the Confederate Army's Company K." The Confederate units involved in the Sailors (or "Sayler's") Creek engagement were Ewell's and Anderson's Corps.

My search on the Soldiers & Sailors system only revealed two Confederate individuals listed under the name "Julius Howell":

Private Julius A. Howell, Company I, 52nd North Carolina Infantry
Private Julius F. Howell, Company E, 8th (Dearing's) Confederate Cavalry

Neither of the above individuals is a good match for "Julius Howell," who apparently enlisted, aged "16 1/2", in a Virginia regiment circa August 1862.

I would presume Howell's descendants have amassed more documentation on his service--just wish I knew what it was.

Yours, &c.,

Mark Jaeger

[6Pdr]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Mr. Howell was from Bristol, VA. Just over the hill from where I grew up. I was kinda suprised as to the way he talked also but I can imagine that his accent changed over the years (101 of them!). His bio on the link said he went to University of PA and Harvard so that would explain some of the New Englandish sound. He sounded like the "Pepperidge Farms guy" to me. I really doubt he talked like that when he was 16. I have lost most vestiges of an "Appalachian Twang" since I have been in the Army for 18.5 years. Most people think I am from the Midwest and are suprised when I tell them I am from North East Tennessee.

[Parault]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

I have heard this yell in the past, but to hear a Company of soldiers at the same time doing the "Rebel Yell" does make the hair stand. That was awesome.

[boozie]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Julius is talking about men loosing their horses and guarding Richmond. Three diffrent P.O.W. records that I found on a genealogy site I belong to shows Cpl. Julius F. Howell, 24th Virginia Cavalry, Company K. The records say he was captured April 1865 (no day given) , was recieved at City Point Virginia and his date of release shows June 18, 1865.

The 24th Cavalry was made up of two former cavalry units and served around the defences of Richmond. They were active in the Appomattox Campaign.

Look at the 8th name down.

[CJSchumacher]

Re: The Voice of Johnny Reb

Great Info. I remember hearing the entire recording about 10 years ago. Very surreal. Franklin was his middle name and the report confirms Julius was captured at Amelia Courthouse on April 4, '65. They were of course, "mostly de-mounted", at the time as he puts it when they went to link up with Ewell's command.