9th
Cavalry |
Lawton-Fort
Sill Chapter |
10 th Cavalry |
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"Fading
light dims the sight, "Day is
done, gone the sun, "Then good
night, peaceful night, "TAPS is the most beautiful bugle call. Played slowly and softly, it has a smooth, tender and touching character. The bugle call was written during the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War by General Butterfield, with an assist from his bugler, Oliver W. Norton, in 1862. "TAPS" went on from its origin as an alternative to "Lights Out" to become not only a signal that day was done, but also to say good-bye to a fallen comrade. "TAPS" is customarily played at funerals at Arlington national Cemetery as well as at ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns there. Its composer is buried in the Post Cemetery at the United States Military Academy at West Point (even though he did not graduate from the Academy). |
The History Of Taps
Of all the
military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to
render emotion than the call Taps. The melody is both eloquent and
haunting and the history of its origin is interesting and somewhat
clouded in controversy. In the British Army, a similar type call
known as Last Post has been sounded over soldiers' graves since
1885, but the use of Taps is unique to the United States military,
since the call is sounded at funerals, wreath-laying and memorial
services.
Taps began as a revision to the signal for Extinguish Lights (Lights Out) at the end of the day. Up until the Civil War, the infantry call for Extinguish Lights was the one set down in Silas Casey's (1801-1882) Tactics, which had been borrowed from the French. The music for Taps was adapted by Union General Daniel Butterfield for his brigade (Third Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac) in July, 1862. Daniel Adams Butterfield (1831-1901) was born in Utica, New York and graduated from Union College at Schenectady. He was the eastern superintendent of the American Express Company in New York when the Civil War broke out. A Colonel in the 12th Regiment of the New York State Militia, he was promoted to Brigadier General and given command of a brigade of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac. During the Peninsular Campaign Butterfield distinguished himself when, during the Battle of Gaines Mill and despite an injury, he seized the colors of the 83rd Pennsylvania and rallied the regiment at a critical time in the battle. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for that act of heroism. As the story
goes, General Butterfield was not pleased with the call for Extinguish
Lights, feeling that the call was too formal to signal the days
end, and with the help of the brigade bugler, Oliver Willcox Norton
(1839-1920), wrote Taps to honor his men while in camp at Harrison?s
Landing, Virginia, following the Seven Days battle. These battles
took place during the Peninsular Campaign of 1862. The new call,
sounded that night in July, 1862, soon spread to other units of
the Union Army and was reportedly also used by the Confederates.
Taps was made an official bugle call after War.
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 TAPS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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