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- HISTORY Vault: The Secret History of the Civil War
The origins of “Taps,” the distinctive bugle melody played at U.S. military funerals and memorials and as a lights-out signal to soldiers at night, date back to the American Civil War.
In July 1862, U.S. General Daniel Butterfield and his brigade were camped at Harrison’s Landing, Virginia, recuperating after the Seven Days Battles near Richmond. Dissatisfied with the standard bugle call employed by the Army to indicate to troops it was time to go to sleep, and thinking the call should sound more melodious, Butterfield reworked an existing bugle call used to signal the end of the day. After he had his brigade bugler, Private Oliver Wilcox Norton, play it for the men, buglers from other units became interested in the 24-note tune and it quickly spread throughout the Army, and even caught on with the Confederates.
The Civil War and Its Legacy
Not long after Butterfield created “Taps,” it was played for the first time at a military funeral, for a Union cannoneer killed in action. The man’s commanding officer, Captain John Tidball, decided the bugle call would be safer than the traditional firing of three rifle volleys over the soldier’s grave, a move which couldn’t been confused by the nearby enemy as an attack.
As for the name “Taps,” the most likely explanation is that it comes from the fact that prior to Butterfield’s bugle call, the lights-out call was followed by three drum beats, dubbed the “Drum Taps,” as well as “The Taps” and then simply “Taps.” When Butterfield’s call replaced the drum beats, soldiers referred to it as “Taps,” although this was an unofficial moniker, according to “Taps” historian and bugle expert Jari Villanueva. He notes that Butterfield’s bugle call was officially known as “Extinguish Lights” in American military manuals until 1891. Since that time, “Taps” also has been a formally recognized part of U.S. military funerals.
Today at Berkeley Plantation, the historic estate located at Harrison’s Landing, there’s a monument commemorating the origins of “Taps” at the site. Berkeley Plantation also happens to be the birthplace of Benjamin Harrison V, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and William Henry Harrison, the nation’s ninth president.
The American Civil War is one of the most studied and dissected events in our history—but what you don't know may surprise you.
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- Elizabeth Nix
Dec 25, 1981 · A drama film about the students of a military academy who resist the closure of their school by local developers. Starring George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn and Tom Cruise, with music by The Doors and Stevie Nicks.
- (20K)
- Harold Becker
- PG
- Drama
TAPS provides comfort and hope 24/7 to the families of America's fallen heroes through peer support, grief resources, and survivor programs. Learn how TAPS can help you cope with the loss of a military or veteran loved one, access benefits and resources, and connect with other survivors.
Taps is a bugle signal played at dusk, flag ceremonies and military funerals by the United States Armed Forces. Learn the origin, history and meaning of Taps, and see the most popular and alternative words to Taps.
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Taps in C. "Taps" is a bugle call—a signal, not a song. As such, there is no associated lyric. Many bugle calls had words associated with them as a mnemonic device but these are not lyrics. Horace Lorenzo Trim is often credited for a set of words intended to accompany the music: [14]
