| History of Taps, Page 4 |
Following the Peninsular Campaign, Butterfield served at 2nd Bull Run, Antietam and at Marye's Heights in the
Battle of Fredericksburg. Through political connections and his ability for administration, he was promoted to
Major General and served as Chief of Staff of the Union Army of the Potomac under Generals Joseph Hooker
and George Meade. He was wounded at Gettysburg and then reassigned to the Western Theater. By war's end,
he was breveted a Brigadier General and stayed in the army after the Civil War, serving as superintendent of
the army's recruiting service in New York City and Colonel of the 5th Infantry. In 1870, after resigning from the
military, Butterfield went back to work with the American Express Company. He was in charge of a number of
special public ceremonies, including General William Tecumseh Sherman's funeral in 1891.
Butterfield died in 1901. His tomb is the most ornate in the cemetery at West Point despite the fact that he
never attended. There is also a monument to Butterfield in New York City near Grant's Tomb. There is nothing
on either monument that mentions Taps or Butterfield's association with the call. Taps was sounded at his
funeral.
Battle of Fredericksburg. Through political connections and his ability for administration, he was promoted to
Major General and served as Chief of Staff of the Union Army of the Potomac under Generals Joseph Hooker
and George Meade. He was wounded at Gettysburg and then reassigned to the Western Theater. By war's end,
he was breveted a Brigadier General and stayed in the army after the Civil War, serving as superintendent of
the army's recruiting service in New York City and Colonel of the 5th Infantry. In 1870, after resigning from the
military, Butterfield went back to work with the American Express Company. He was in charge of a number of
special public ceremonies, including General William Tecumseh Sherman's funeral in 1891.
Butterfield died in 1901. His tomb is the most ornate in the cemetery at West Point despite the fact that he
never attended. There is also a monument to Butterfield in New York City near Grant's Tomb. There is nothing
on either monument that mentions Taps or Butterfield's association with the call. Taps was sounded at his
funeral.
| General Butterfield in the 1890s |
The Butterfield grave at West Point, NY
How did the call become associated with funerals? The earliest official reference to the mandatory use of Taps at military funeral ceremonies is found in
the U.S. Army Infantry Drill Regulations for 1891, although it had doubtless been used unofficially long before that time, under its former designation
Extinguish Lights.
The first sounding of Taps at a military funeral is commemorated in a stained glass window at The Chapel of the Centurion (The Old Post Chapel) at Fort
Monroe, Virginia.
The site where Taps was born is also commemorated by a monument located on the grounds of Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. This monument to Taps
was erected by the Virginia American Legion and dedicated on July 4, 1969. The site is also rich in history, for the Harrisons of Berkeley Plantation
included Benjamin Harrison and William Henry Harrison, both presidents of the United States as well as Benjamin Harrison (father and great grandfather
of future presidents), a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
the U.S. Army Infantry Drill Regulations for 1891, although it had doubtless been used unofficially long before that time, under its former designation
Extinguish Lights.
The first sounding of Taps at a military funeral is commemorated in a stained glass window at The Chapel of the Centurion (The Old Post Chapel) at Fort
Monroe, Virginia.
The site where Taps was born is also commemorated by a monument located on the grounds of Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. This monument to Taps
was erected by the Virginia American Legion and dedicated on July 4, 1969. The site is also rich in history, for the Harrisons of Berkeley Plantation
included Benjamin Harrison and William Henry Harrison, both presidents of the United States as well as Benjamin Harrison (father and great grandfather
of future presidents), a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
| The Taps monument at Berkeley Plantation |
The Taps window at Ft. Monroe
Other stories of the origin of Taps exist. A popular, yet false, one is that of a Northern boy who was killed fighting for the south. His father, Robert
Ellicombe, a Captain in the Union Army, came upon his son's body on the battlefield and found the notes to Taps in a pocket of the dead boy's
Confederate uniform. He had the notes sounded at the boy's funeral. There is no evidence to back up the story or the existence of a Captain Ellicombe.
Ellicombe, a Captain in the Union Army, came upon his son's body on the battlefield and found the notes to Taps in a pocket of the dead boy's
Confederate uniform. He had the notes sounded at the boy's funeral. There is no evidence to back up the story or the existence of a Captain Ellicombe.
Why the name Taps? The call of Tattoo was used in order to assemble soldiers for the last roll call of the day. Tattoo may have originated during the
Thirty Years War (1618-1648) or during the wars of King William III during the 1690s. The word tattoo in this usage is derived from the Dutch tap (tap or
faucet) and toe (to cut off). When it was time to cease drinking for the evening and return to the post, the provost or Officer of the Day,
accompanied by a sergeant and drummer, would go through the town beating out the signal. As far as military regulations went, there was a
prescribed roll call to be taken "at Taptoe time" to ensure that all the troops had returned to their billets. It is possible that the word Tattoo became
Taps. Tattoo was also called Tap-toe and as is true with slang terms in the military, it was shortened to Taps.
The other, and more likely, explanation is that the name Taps was borrowed from a drummer's beat. The beating of Tattoo by the drum corps would be
followed by the Drummer of the Guard beating three distinct drum taps at four count intervals for the military evolution Extinguish Lights. During the
American Civil War, Extinguish Lights was the bugle call used as the final call of the day and as the name implies, it was a signal to extinguish all fires
and lights. Following the call, three single drum strokes were beat at four-count intervals. This was known as the "Drum Taps" or in common usage of
soldiers "The Taps" or "Taps." There are many references to the term "Taps" before the war and during the conflict, before the bugle call we are all
familiar with came into existence. So the drum beat that followed Extinguish Lights came to be called "Taps" by the common soldiers and when the
new bugle call was created in July 1862 to replace the more formal sounding Extinguish Lights, (the one Butterfield disliked), the bugle call also came
to be known as "Taps."
The new bugle signal (also known as "Butterfield's Lullaby") is called "Taps" in common usage because it is used for the same purpose as the three drum
taps. However the U.S. Army still called it Extinguish Lights and it did not officially change the name to Taps until 1891.
Thirty Years War (1618-1648) or during the wars of King William III during the 1690s. The word tattoo in this usage is derived from the Dutch tap (tap or
faucet) and toe (to cut off). When it was time to cease drinking for the evening and return to the post, the provost or Officer of the Day,
accompanied by a sergeant and drummer, would go through the town beating out the signal. As far as military regulations went, there was a
prescribed roll call to be taken "at Taptoe time" to ensure that all the troops had returned to their billets. It is possible that the word Tattoo became
Taps. Tattoo was also called Tap-toe and as is true with slang terms in the military, it was shortened to Taps.
The other, and more likely, explanation is that the name Taps was borrowed from a drummer's beat. The beating of Tattoo by the drum corps would be
followed by the Drummer of the Guard beating three distinct drum taps at four count intervals for the military evolution Extinguish Lights. During the
American Civil War, Extinguish Lights was the bugle call used as the final call of the day and as the name implies, it was a signal to extinguish all fires
and lights. Following the call, three single drum strokes were beat at four-count intervals. This was known as the "Drum Taps" or in common usage of
soldiers "The Taps" or "Taps." There are many references to the term "Taps" before the war and during the conflict, before the bugle call we are all
familiar with came into existence. So the drum beat that followed Extinguish Lights came to be called "Taps" by the common soldiers and when the
new bugle call was created in July 1862 to replace the more formal sounding Extinguish Lights, (the one Butterfield disliked), the bugle call also came
to be known as "Taps."
The new bugle signal (also known as "Butterfield's Lullaby") is called "Taps" in common usage because it is used for the same purpose as the three drum
taps. However the U.S. Army still called it Extinguish Lights and it did not officially change the name to Taps until 1891.
As soon as Taps was sounded that night in July 1862, words were put with the
music. The first were, "Go To Sleep, Go to Sleep." As the years went on many
more versions were created. There are no official words to the music but here
are some of the more popular verses:
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.
Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.
music. The first were, "Go To Sleep, Go to Sleep." As the years went on many
more versions were created. There are no official words to the music but here
are some of the more popular verses:
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.
Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.
| Military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, 1950s |
As with many other customs, this solemn tradition continues today. Although Butterfield merely revised an earlier bugle call, his role in producing
those twenty four notes gives him a place in the history of music as well as the history of war.
For more information about Taps, order the 60-page booklet Twenty-Four Notes That Tap Deep Emotions: The history of America's most famous
bugle call, by Jari Villanueva.
those twenty four notes gives him a place in the history of music as well as the history of war.
For more information about Taps, order the 60-page booklet Twenty-Four Notes That Tap Deep Emotions: The history of America's most famous
bugle call, by Jari Villanueva.
Jari A. Villanueva, jvmusic@erols.com, is a bugler and bugle historian. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and Kent State University, he was the curator of the
Taps Bugle Exhibit http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/tapsproj.htm at Arlington National Cemetery from 1999-2002. He has been a member of the United States Air
Force Band since 1985 and is considered the country's foremost authority on the bugle call Taps.
Taps Bugle Exhibit http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/tapsproj.htm at Arlington National Cemetery from 1999-2002. He has been a member of the United States Air
Force Band since 1985 and is considered the country's foremost authority on the bugle call Taps.
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