Five things you may not know about America’s most famous military bugle call ‘Taps’

JACKSONVILLE — Of all the military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to render emotion than “Taps.”

Across the United States today, services are being held to honor the courageous men and women who died while selflessly serving our country.

While the song is deeply ingrained in American culture, not everyone knows how or when the song originated. We shared a few fun facts about the evolution of the song and its meaning on Memorial Day

1. The famous bugle call played at military funerals is ingrained as music of mourning, but it also served as a lights-out signal to soldiers at night.

2. Before Taps was composed in the mid-1800′s, another song was played at the end of each day called “Extinguish Lights.” The call was written by the French as early as 1809 and was Napoleon’s favorite bugle call, according to Jari Villanueva, Taps historian and retired trumpeter for the U.S. Air Force Band.

3. The song was written by Union Gen. Daniel Butterfield and brigade bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton to honor his men serving at Harrison’s Landing following the Seven Days Battle, a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond during the American Civil War.

4. Shortly after the song was composed in 1862, there was a funeral in one of the artillery companies. Capt. John Tidball, the commanding officer, decided that he did not want to fire the customary three volleys over the grave since he was afraid the shots would be seen as an act of aggression by the nearby enemy army.

Tidball told his bugler to play taps, and that was the first time it was used for a military funeral.

5. Live buglers still perform at military members’ funerals today. If you need a taps bugler for a funeral ceremony, you can make a request at TapsForVeterans.org.

Read more about the history of Taps here.

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