STL All Sports

A woodcut is in existence showing the First Maryland Regiment playing a game, undoubtedly soccer, at Camp Johnson in Winchester, Va., in 1861, with almost the entire regiment participating. The field was full of players. There are no details as to the kind of game, rules, or the outcome. This cut alone is proof that the game did exist, in some fashion, prior to the Princeton-Rutgers saga that was written in 1869.

Rutgers defeated Princeton, 6 to 4, in that first collegiate game, at soccer rules, Nov. 6, 1869-Rutgers' last victory over the Tigers until 1938. Princeton was unwilling to take the Nov. 6 result as a criterion of football worth between the colleges and challenged for a return match, Nov. 13, 1869, which Rutgers accepted.

Princeton won the return match, 8-0.

Princeton went into the second game, making full use of a blood-chilling cry that was a result of the Civil War. It was a rebel yell, which the Confederates had called upon when going into battle with the Union Army. The Princetons figured it might frighten the Rutgers athletes, if properly vocalized, at psychological moments, and perhaps it did. Anyway, when a play was about to get into motion, or had gone into motion, Princeton called on its yell, which had been classified as a "Scarer," and emerged as victor by the score of 8 to 0.

Princeton, it appears, had used the yell in the first game, but without much luck. It interfered with their play, since it required a lot of breath, which the game also demanded. The wily Princetons schooled some of their fellow students in the rebel call before the second game began, and when the players ran out of wind, the few students from Princeton, who were on the sidelines, let loose. This yelling was the beginning of the custom of cheering at football games, urging on one's team, and resulted, in time, in the fancy yells of today, plus the singing of songs intended to arouse the favored team to greater effort.