{"id":3031,"date":"2019-09-16T12:58:41","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T16:58:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcmoa.org\/?p=3031"},"modified":"2019-09-16T12:58:41","modified_gmt":"2019-09-16T16:58:41","slug":"the-story-of-taps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/the-story-of-taps\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story of “TAPS”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is an endearing Legend of the origin of an earlier version of TAPS.<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

We in the \u00a0United States\u00a0 have all heard the haunting song,\u00a0‘Taps”, usually at a military funeral or gravesite.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It’s the song that gives us the lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes.<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But, do you know the story behind the song?\u00a0 If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings.<\/h2>\n

It all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Elli was with his men near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia.\u00a0 The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.<\/h2>\n

\"\"
\nDuring the night, Captain Elli heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.\u00a0 Not knowing if it was a\u00a0\u00a0 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..<\/h2>\n

When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.<\/h2>\n

The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock.\u00a0 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..\u00a0 Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.<\/h2>\n

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 only partially granted.<\/h2>\n

The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.<\/h2>\n

The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate.<\/h2>\n

But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.<\/h2>\n

\"\"
\nThe Captain chose a bugler.\u00a0 He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth’s uniform.<\/h2>\n

This wish was granted.<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/h2>\n

The haunting melody, we now know as ‘Taps’ used at military funerals was born.<\/h2>\n

The words are:<\/h2>\n

Day is done. Gone the sun.
\nFrom the lakes\u00a0 From the hills.
\nFrom the sky. All is well.\u00a0 Safely rest.
\nGod is nigh.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Fading light. Dims the sight.
\nAnd a star. Gems the sky.
\nGleaming bright.\u00a0 From afar.
\nDrawing nigh.\u00a0 Falls the night.<\/h1>\n

Thanks and praise.\u00a0 For our days.
\nNeath the sun.\u00a0 Neath the stars.
\nNeath the sky\u00a0As we go.<\/h1>\n

This we know. \u00a0God is nigh.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Click here for more info on the current version of TAPS.<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following is an endearing Legend of the origin of an earlier version of TAPS. We in the \u00a0United States\u00a0 have all heard the haunting song,\u00a0‘Taps”, usually at a military funeral or gravesite. It’s the song that gives us the lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes. But, do you know the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3031"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3031"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3032,"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3031\/revisions\/3032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wcmoa.org\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}