Two Stories of the Origins of Taps

Two Stories of the Origin of "Taps"

There are two conflicting versions of the origin of the plaintive bugle melody now traditionally played at funerals and which is the last bugle call heard every night by men and women serving in the US Armed Services.

VERSION ONE: according to historian Elizabeth May,
(first published in the American Legion's Posts Newsletter)

Paraphrased: In 1862 during the Civil War, Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe and his men were camped near Harrison's Landing, Virginia. On the other side of A narrow strip of land separated them from the Confederate Army.

During the night, the captain heard a severely wounded soldier moaning on the field. Was the soldier Union or Confederate? The captain made a risky decision to try to bring him back for medical attention. To do this he had to crawl on his stomach through gunfire. He reached the wounded soldier successfully and after much struggle finally succeeded in dragging him back to his own lines.

There he discovered his efforts were in vain, as the Confederate soldier had died. When he lit a lantern and saw the soldier's face, he went numb with shock. Lying before him was his own son. When the war had started, the boy was in the South studying music. Unknown to his father, apparently, the boy had enlisted in the Confederate Army.

In the morning, despite his son's status as an enemy, the heartbroken captain requested permission to give his son a full military burial. His request was partially granted.

The captain had wanted an Army band to play a funeral dirge for his son. This part of the request was denied. However, his superiors allowed him to choose one musician, a bugler. The captain had found a melody scribbled on paper in a pocket of his uniform, which the bugler played. This wish was granted. This melody, now known as "Taps," is used at military funerals and is the last bugle call of the day, indicating "lights out" for military men and women.

Below is one version of the words set to this haunting melody. It is not clear whether Captain Ellicombe found these words with the melody his son had apparently written, or whether they were added later"

Day is done Gone the sun
From the lakes
From the hills
From the sky
All is well, safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light Dims the sight
And a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaning 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.

VERSION TWO

Source "U.S. Army Military District of Columbia Fact Sheet"

Paraphrased: Union General Danial Adams Butterfield, who commanded a brigade camped at Harrison Landing, Virginia, is credited with the authorship of the melody we know today as "Taps.". The bugle call ending the day for the US Army infantry at that time was the French final call "L'Extinction des feux". Butterfield felt this music was too formal for the end of the day. So one day in July, 1862, he hummed a version of the "Tatoo" music to an aide who wrote down the melody. Butterfield assigned Oliver W. Norton, the brigade's bugler, to play the melody, and after listening, the general adjusted the metering and tempo.

Butterfield then assigned Norton to play this new call at the end of each day. Other brigades heard this new melody and asked for copies so their buglers could play it, too. Even the confederates adopted it. After the war ended, this melody was designated the official Army bugle call. The name "Taps" was bestowed later, in 1874.

When he substituted "Taps" for the customary three rifle vollys fired over the grave of a cannoneer killed in action, so the rifle fire wouldn't reveal the position of his artillery battery to the enemy, Union Captain John Tidball may have been the first officer to command this melody's use at a military funeral.

There are no official words to the melody.

Fading light dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky,
gleaming bright.
From afar drawing nigh --
Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the
hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Then good night, peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn
shineth bright;
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, good night.