TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

'TAPS' History

ADVERTISEMENT

By Betty Lou Nagy

Published: September 18, 2007

The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Ladies Auxiliary will be hosting the ceremony of the POW–MIA at Veterans Square down town Avon Park on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. (Please bring your own lawn chairs.)

Taps will be played by David Flowers. I thought I would write a very haunting story on the song, it's a very haunting story. It's a song that gives us a lump in our throat and tears in our eyes.

It all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when an Army Capt. 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, Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the captain 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 the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy 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 since the soldier was 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 of musical notes that he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform; this 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 sky, all is well

Safely rest, fod 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.

While I've listened to "TAPS," I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was more than one verse. I also did not know the story behind the song. I just thought I would see how many others did not know either.

Betty Lou Nagy

Avon Park

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT