New Wright Thompson article. Sorry if Oliver Bierhoff.

AzzurriDawg4

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Nov 11, 2007
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One hundred and one years earlier, all but four students at Ole Miss dropped out of school to form Company A of the 11th Mississippi Infantry. The University Greys. On May 4, 1863, at Gettysburg, the unit rose from safety and made a futile rush toward Seminary Ridge. Everyone was killed or injured, and history named their suicide mission Pickett's Charge. The school's sports teams would be called Rebels to honor their sacrifice.

I had no idea that A) that is where the rebels got their name or B) that Pickett's charge was a Mississippi unit. That is very interesting. Pickett's Charge always interested me and I am surprised I never picked up on that.
 

Maroon Eagle

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May 24, 2006
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...I've got a minor quibble with the story though, and I've emailed Thompson about it-- hopefully it's something than can be corrected on the site.</p>
 

FlabLoser

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Aug 20, 2006
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AzzurriDawg4 said:
One hundred and one years earlier, all but four students at Ole Miss dropped out of school to form Company A of the 11th Mississippi Infantry. The University Greys. On May 4, 1863, at Gettysburg, the unit rose from safety and made a futile rush toward Seminary Ridge. Everyone was killed or injured, and history named their suicide mission Pickett's Charge. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The school's sports teams would be called Rebels to honor their sacrifice.</span>

I had no idea that A) that is where the rebels got their name or B) that Pickett's charge was a Mississippi unit. That is very interesting. Pickett's Charge always interested me and I am surprised I never picked up on that.

The Rebel name was born out of a contest to re-name the mascot from The Flood. An infamous Daily Mississippian article on it mentioned only the confederate army nickname was chosen because it was easier to say than the runner-up choice, "Ole Massas". No mention of any particular historic battle.

Political correctness begs for a better rational behind "Rebels", but there simply is not one.

</a><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2093335/">http://www.slate.com/id/2093335/
 

GroveHard

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Mar 3, 2008
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didn't consist of only Mississippi units, but they were distinguished because they advanced further than any of the other units (to Brian's barn) and sustained a 100% casualty rate.