TAPS:

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

Reportedly it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicome was with his men near Harrison's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of this narrow strip of land. During the night, Captian Ellicome heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Confederate or Union soldier, the Captain deceided to risk his life and bring the stricken soldier back, for medical attention.

Crawling,on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him towards his encampment. When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Conferderate 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 the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy had enlisted in the Confederate 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. The Captain 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 because the soldier was a Confederate. However, 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 of notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform.

The wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" used at military funerals, 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.

REMEMBER THOSE LOST AND HARMED WHILE SERVING THEIR COUNTRY.

I heard the same story from a friend of mine who is a Retired Navy Captain.
 

"The Unceremonious Origin of Taps
The eerie melody of Taps is recognizable to most Americans and to all of our soldiers as the traditional song of endings. It marks the end of the day as well as the end of lives. Written in 1862 by Dan Butterfield, a Union General, the song quickly became the nation's requiem.
Camped at the Berkley Plantation shortly after the battles of Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill, Butterfield and his men were spending an uncomfortable July night in the Virginia heat. When it came time for lights out, the bugler played the traditional French Extinguish Lights melody, a song Butterfield had always disliked.

Inspired by his aversion to the song he'd just heard, Butterfield set out to write something more soothing to end the day. O.W. Norton, Buttefield's 22 year old bugler, recounts what happened next: "Butterfield, showing me some notes on staff written in pencil on the back envelope, asked me to sound them on my bugle. I did this several times, playing the music as written. He changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me. After getting it to his satisfaction, he directed me to sound the call thereafter, in place of the regular call. The music was beautiful on the still summer nights and was heard far beyond the limits of our brigade. The next day I was visited by several other buglers from neighboring brigades asking for a copy of the music, which I gladly furnished."

The song drifted over the battlefield, and it is said that Confederate buglers began playing it as well. To avoid instigating unexpected attacks during the war, Taps was substituted for the customary rifle volleys played at military funerals.

When Butterfield died in 1901, Taps was played at his burial at West Point where his white marble monument still stands."

A more complete history, including the story as told above, can be found at
http://www.west-point.org/taps/Taps.html

Urban legends are fun, but the proper people still should be credited for creating something beautiful. That is their legacy.

BTW, I learned that I couldn't get emotionally involved when playing taps. If I did, I screwed up hitting the notes on pitch. Skill and emotion sometimes have to be seperated to do a job right, as a lot of brave men who fought and sacrificed for us learned.
 

As Evans said in another post, Life is precious.Enjoy your family and your friends, while you can.

I loved reading An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. If you remember the movie Jacob's Ladder, you might find that some of the literary elements from Bierce's story were used to dramatize the movie. (The 'flashbacks' being presented as a kind of stream-of-consciousness.) There was another story that Bierce wrote that I can't remember the title of... It's about a soldier who gets lost in enemy territory and takes shelter in an old abandoned building. I won't give any more details because I dont' want to spoil the ending... which has a real funky twist.

I have a web page that is a partial listing of Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. That is far-and-away my favorite book by Bierce.
Check it out here. ===> Devil's Dictionary
These are just some of my favorites. Every so often I reread the book and I find a few more entried that I like. I add new ones on to the page every so often.

About playing Taps... When I was in the Boy Scouts we used to march in my hometown's Memorial Day parade. There were two kids who played the trumpet and they would play taps at the memorial service at the cemetary. One guy would play at the speaker's podium and the other guy would go about 50 yards away, down over the hill. They would play in unison but because of the distance between them it ended up sounding like an echo effect. Very cool!

I thought this story might be appropriate:

One year my city had a special Memorial Day activity where all the volunteer buglers and trumpeters from the city went to various spots of the city to play taps at the exact same time.

The street I was stationed at was empty and I thought no one was going to hear me, I played taps the best I have ever played it in a public place (I thought no one was listening so there was no pressure). After I had completed the song one man stepped out of his house and started applauding. After talking to the man for a couple of minutes about why I was there he started telling me the story of his son and close friend going to WW2. As he was telling his story there were tears streaming down his face, I felt sorry for the man and listened intently to his story of his best friend and son. His best friend died in WW2 and his son was badly injured. I never understood the true meaning of "taps" and the effect in had on people. To this day I thank that man for his honesty and for helping me realize why I volunteered to play "taps" at these events. Since that mans story I have not been able to play at a funeral or memorial without thinking of him with a tear in my eye.