the name "Rebel Yell"

^Thanks for the civil war history lesson there SLFAKE.My dad was a huge civil war buff so perhaps I shoulda asked him more about it back in the day prior to his passing in the summer of 04,which ironically occured on the exact day that I was at PKD that year.

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a battle or small skirmish (sorry vacoasterfreak, the word is Skirmish, not scrimmage... that's in the game of football).

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Actually in the tense they are being used "Skirmish" and "Scrimmage" have the same usage and are appropriate. "Scrimmage" might even have been a better choice of words as its dual meaning of either "a battle" or a "confused fight" fits more with descriptions and accounts of the conflicts during the war. *** Edited 12/25/2006 4:55:43 PM UTC by ldiesman***

lol...ldiesman, you got to him before i could. skirmish is a more modern use of the same word. something that America has done with MUCH of the original English language; and for that matter, something much of the English speaking world has done with Romance languages and Latin...

but good job SLFAKE on the history run down.

oh...and since youre up for correcting me, "scrimmage" in the sports sense is used in many other sports, domestically and internationally, not just "football" (i.e. American football...its not soccer lol) *** Edited 12/26/2006 4:25:01 AM UTC by vacoasterfreak***

Agreed, SFLAKE - I actually attended Gettysburg College and minored in Civil War Era Studies (yes they have a minor for that) and I definitely did not think of that angle for the naming of the ride. So where's the "high water mark" of the ride? The top of the lift hill? ;)

Sorry guys... but while they may have the same meaning originally, I think I will stick with Skirmish over Scrimmage.

I can't count how many accounts I have read of civil war battles where they talked about "minor skirmishes"... or throwing out a "Skirmish line" or "Skirmishing with the enemy".... but I nave NEVER read an account (both modern or even written at the time) where the term "scrimmage" was used.

And as far as using it in NOT ONLY football... hey, that much I will give you. That was just the first one that came to mind.

While we're talking Civil War, let me bounce this one at you all:

The 2006 Cleveland Browns and Pickett's Charge?
Similar?
;)

Wasn't a skirmish an unplanned, small battle? *** Edited 12/26/2006 7:09:48 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

SLFAKE, thats alright. I just wanted to defend usage as I do feel that it was acceptable. We see to many threads turn into blind english lessons that just end in hostility.

Honestly, if I recall correctly "Scrimmage" is actually derived from the word "Skirmish" or is an alteration of. *** Edited 12/26/2006 6:32:48 PM UTC by ldiesman***

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FLYINGSCOOTER said:

Wasn't a skirmish an unplanned, small battle?

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That's a good description... though skirmishing did take place during larger battles. Pretty standard practice to throw out a thin line of "skirmishers" in front of the main battle lines and also to advance in front of advancing troops to try and flush out a hidden enemy. And something what started out as a small skirmish between two relativley small bodies of troops would eventually turn into something much larger... like Gettysburg.

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The 2006 Cleveland Browns and Pickett's Charge?
Similar?

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Well, I don't know about that, but I do keep asking myself this question:

Who would win... Robert E.Lee and the entire Army of Northern Virgina (some 65,000 strong) -VS- Mike Ditka.

And to think, this all started out as a question over the name of PKD's Rebel Yell...

yea i have to say, i never saw this thread going this far SLFAKE lol:)

oh...and definitely DITKA;)

Doesnt Kennywood lie on or near an area where there was a skirmish/battle that occured during the American Revolution if I recall reading/hearing correctly while riding the train?

Yes, a very famous skirmish took place near where Kennywood is located today. It was known as Braddock's Crossing that occurred on July 6, 1755 during the French & Indian War (not the Revolutionary War as some believe). A young colonial army Colonel George Washington was travelling with British troops under the command of British Major General Edward Braddock who tried to cross the Monongahela River just below the bluff where Kennywood is today. They were attempting to attack and take over Fort Duquesne, located at the fork of the three rivers where downtown Pittsburgh is located today. They were ambushed by French soldiers and their allied Indian tribes from the region. Most of the battle took place on the other side of the river where the United States Steel Edgar Thompson plant is today. The British regiment during the ambush suffered severe casualties, including the mortal wounding of Braddock, who died days later during the British army's retreat back to Virginia. (The town across the river where the battle occurred was named Braddock after the fallen British General.) Washington was not wounded and helped to lead the survivors to safety during their retreat. Eventually, Washington would lead his colonial army against the British 20 years later during the Revolutionary War.

Some Pittsburgh area historians believe that the area where Kennywood is now was used as a camp for the British army before they tried to cross the river. The spring that is located in the ravine where the Jack Rabbit sits today was advertised in early brochures for the park from the turn-of-the-century as 'Braddock's Spring'. The site's location for the battle actually drew the curious more than a hundred years later when that portion of Anthony Kenny's farm began to become a picnic grove for area residents. Later, the Mononghela Street Railways decided to stretch their trolley line to the park and created Kennywood in 1898.