'Taps' is haunting tale of war
On Nov. 11 we will celebrate Veterans' Day. For those of us who have served in the military, we have heard the haunting melody of Taps. For me the song gives me a huge lump in my throat and usually causes tears in my eyes. The song itself pulls on our emotional strings and causes us to think about past wars that our fathers, mothers, sons and daughters have served in.
When I was a young private in the Army on my way to Vietnam, a first sergeant told me the story of Taps, and I thought I would share it with you.
During the Civil War in 1862. a Union Army Captain named Robert Ellicombe was positioned near Harrison's Landing, Va. The Confederate Army was on the other side of a narrow strip of land. During the night, the captain kept hearing the moans of a solder who was severely wounded on the field in front of him. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier he decided to risk his life and bring that wounded soldier back to his side for medical care.
The captain crawled on his stomach through punishing gunfire to the stricken soldier. Not wasting time, he grabbed the soldier's collar and dragged him back to his old position. When the captain finally reached his encampment. Medical personnel rushed to both soldiers aid. The doctor treating the Confederate soldier said, "He's dead."
The captain struggled to his feet and walked over to the dead soldier. In the dim light of a lantern he found the face of his oldest son. The boy had been studying in the South when the war broke out. He apparently decided to enlist in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the captain requested permission to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was only partially approved, they only approved one bugler to play a series of musical notes he found on a piece of paper in the pocket of his son's uniform. That haunting melody today is know as Taps.
Note, Sgt. 1st Class Arthur Demmings died three days after telling me this story in 1971.
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