The story behind our military "TAPS". A must read

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Received from a friend:

I never knew the history behind the song, "Taps". Thought you'd like to know it's story.

We have all heard the haunting song, "Taps." It's the song that gives
us that lump in our! throats and usually creates tears in our eyes. But do you
know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be interested to
find out about it's humble beginnings.

Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army
Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate
soldier, Captain Ellicombe decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was
actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when war broke out.

! Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confede rate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his
superiors to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted. Captain Ellicombe had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.

The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.

The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series ofmusical
notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniformThis wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals, and at the end of each day on US military bases was
born.
Day is done.,,,Gone the sun........From the lakes....... From the hills......... From the skies.......... All is well........... Safely
rest.......God is nigh. Fading light..........Dims the sight........And a
star......... Gems the sky,..........Gleaming bright... From afar.......... Drawing nigh......... Falls the night. Thanks and praise.......For our days.......'Neath the sun.......'Neath the stars....'Neath the sky....... As we go... This we know.......... God is nigh.

I too, have felt the chills while listening to "Taps," but I have never seen
all the words until now. I didn't even know there was more than one verse.

I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn't know if you
had either so I thought I'd pass it along.

Pray for our military!

[aubunique]

I appreciate this post very much, Tyler, having spent four years in military band with high-school army ROTC and the first several months of my eight years in the Coast Guard Reserve in the west coast Coast Guard band, I can remember many scenes with taps being played at eventide.

Currently, I live about 300 yards from a national cemetery where military honors occur with funerals several days a week. So I never forget hearing Taps.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Your welcome. I remember it well from my USAFA days. I was usually rushing around to finish homework or shine shoes ect... when it was played. I was never in combat but sure respect and pray for these heros that are serving. However, I never knew the story behind it until recently.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

OK, which is the real story?


From
http://www.usmemorialday.org/taps.html

There is a myth about the origin of Taps that is circulating about the Internet. The true story is that in July 1862, after the Seven Days battles at Harrison's Landing (near Richmond), Virginia, the wounded Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, General Daniel Butterfield reworked, with his bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton, another bugle call, "Scott Tattoo," to create Taps. He thought that the regular call for Lights Out was too formal. Taps was adopted throughout the Army of the Potomac and finally confirmed by orders. Soon other Union units began using Taps, and even a few Confederate units began using it as well. After the war, Taps became an official bugle call. Col. James A. Moss, in his Officer's Manual first published in 1911, gives an account of the initial use of Taps at a military funeral:
"During the Peninsular Campaign in 1862, a soldier of Tidball's Battery A of the 2nd Artillery was buried at a time when the battery occupied an advanced position concealed in the woods. It was unsafe to fire the customary three volleys over the grave, on account of the proximity of the enemy, and it occurred to Capt. Tidball that the sounding of Taps would be the most appropriate ceremony that could be substituted."