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FW: Origin of Taps



Another question that perhaps someone on the list
might have some info about. Please respond
directly to Florence rather than to the whole
list.

Thanks,
Bob Schmidt
Archives Listserve Coordinator
Miami University Archives
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-529-6720
rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu
__________________________
Subject:
        origin of taps
   Date:
        Sun, 12 Nov 2000 22:42:11 EST
   From:
        FloKHWms@aol.com
     To:
        civilwar@tsa.si.edu
    CC:
        rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu




I received this story with no documentation can
you check it out?
Florence Williams

THE ORIGIN OF TAPS

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 moan of a soldier who lay
mortally 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.
Suddenly, he caught his breath
and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw
the face of the soldier.
It was his son. The boy had been studying music in
the south when the war
broke out. Without telling his father, he 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 partially granted. The captain had
asked if he could have a
group of Army band members play a funeral dirge
for the son at the funeral.
That request was turned down since the soldier was
a Confederate. 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 he had found on a piece of paper in the
pocket of his dead son's
uniform. This wish was granted. This music was the
haunting melody we now
know as "Taps" that is used at all military
funerals.

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