The Story of how "TAPS" played at military funerals, originated
(Thanks to Morris Clark who contributed the story...)
It all began in 1862, during the Civil war, when a Union Army captain Robert Ellicombe, was with his men near Harrison's landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of this narrow strip of land.
During the night, Capt. Ellicombe heard the moan of a soldier who lay wounded on the field. The captain decided to bring back the stricken man for medical attention.
Crawling on his stomach the captain reached the soldier and began pulling him back. He discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.
The captain lit a lantern, suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. He saw the face of the soldier... it was his own son! The young man had been studying music in the South when the war broke out, and without telling his father, he had enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, the heartbroken father asked permission of his supervisors to give his son a full military burial, despite the young man's enemy status. The captain's request was partially granted.
He asked if he could have a group of army band members play at the funeral. His request was refused. They said they could loan him one musician. He chose the bugler and asked him to play a series of musical notes found in the dead youth's uniform. That music was the haunting melody we now know as "TAPS".