Where Did the Military Song "Taps" Come From?

TL;DR

"Taps" is a bugle call that was initially used to signal lights out during the Civil War, but it has since become a symbol of honor and remembrance for fallen service members in military funerals.

Transcript

Since 1862, "Taps" has played at U.S. military funerals to honor the sacrifice of fallen service members. Originally, however, it was intended to send soldiers off to a less permanent sleep. During the Civil War, Union buglers signaled "lights out" to their comrades with a tune called "Extinguish Lights," which was actually borrowed from an 1809 Fr... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤙 "Taps" was created to replace a less appealing bugle call called "Extinguish Lights" during the Civil War.
• 🥺 Captain John C. Tidball introduced "Taps" at a military funeral in 1862, leading to its popularity throughout the Army.
• 🖐️ "Taps" became a mandatory part of Army funeral ceremonies in 1891 and is now played at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington National Cemetery.
• ❓ Congress designated "Taps" as the National Song of Remembrance in 2013.
• 😒 The use of electronic bugles has become more common due to the scarcity of qualified buglers.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the original purpose of "Taps" during the Civil War?

The original purpose of "Taps" was to signal lights out and send soldiers off to sleep.

Q: How was "Taps" first played at a military funeral?

Captain John C. Tidball of Battery A, 2nd Artillery ordered "Taps" to be played at a military funeral during the Peninsular Campaign in 1862 as a safer alternative to firing three volleys of weapons.

Q: When did "Taps" become a mandatory part of Army funeral ceremonies?

"Taps" became mandatory in 1891, possibly influenced by General Butterfield overseeing the funeral of General William Tecumseh Sherman that same year.

Q: What is the significance of "Taps" at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Arlington National Cemetery?

"Taps" is played every day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and every night at the Arlington National Cemetery as a tribute to fallen service members.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• "Taps" originated as a bugle call called "Extinguish Lights" during the Civil War, but Union Army General Daniel Butterfield wanted a more appealing tune to signal the end of the day.

• Butterfield, along with bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton, rearranged an earlier bugle call into the 24 notes of "Taps."

• "Taps" was first played at a military funeral during the Peninsular Campaign in 1862 and eventually became a mandatory part of Army funeral ceremonies in 1891.