TAPS

The following was received from a friend of mine, and I wanted to share it with you. While reading it I hope each of you will take time to reflect a bit on our friends and classmates who are no longer with us.

We have all heard the haunting melody of "Taps." It’s the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually 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 shamble beginnings. Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, Captain Robert Ellicombe of the Union Army was with his men near Harrison’s Landing, Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night Captain Ellisombe heard a severely wounded soldier moaning out on the field.

Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, Captain Ellicombe decided to risk his life and try to bring the stricken man in for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and pulled him back to the encampment.

When finally reaching his own lines, Captain Ellicombe discovered that it was actually a Confederate soldier that he had recovered, but the soldier was dead. Captain Ellicombe 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, he had enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. He also asked for a group of band members to play a funeral dirge for his son. His request was only partially granted. Since this was an enemy soldier of the Confederacy.

Out of respect for the father, however, they did say that one musician would be authorized for the funeral. Captain Ellicombe chose a bugler. In the pocket of his dead son’s uniform Captain Ellicombe had found a piece of paper with some musical notes on it. He asked the bugler to play this short piece for his son, who had apparently written it.

Thus was born the haunting melody that we now know as "Taps" and played at military funerals for all the US Armed Forces.

The words follow:

1st Verse      

2nd Verse 

3rd Verse
"Day is done  Fading light Thanks and praise,
Gone the sun Dims the sight For our days,
From the lakes And a star Neath the sun,
From the hills Gems the sky, Neath the stars,
From the sky Gleaming bright Neath the sky,
All is well, From afar, As we go,
safely rest. Drawing nigh, This we know,
God is nigh. Falls the night. God is nigh."

I, too, have felt the chills while listening to "Taps" but 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 have not known the story behind the song and I didn’t know if you had either so I thought I’d pass it along. I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.

Peace be with you,

George

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