This was taken from the Newsletter of the Marshall County, Kentucky Genealogy & Historical Society
I thought it might be of interest to others to know where the "TAPS" came from and how it started.

TAPS, the series of musical notes played at all military funerals, was born of grief and continues everlasting-----
       It began in 1862 when a Union Army Captain, Robert Ellicombe, was with his men near Harrison's Landing, Va.
The Confederate Army was opposite this narrow strip of land. During the night Capt. Ellicombe heard the moan of a soldier
who lay mortally wounded on the field. The Captain decided to risk his life to bring the stricken soldier to medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through gunfire, he reached the soldier and pulled him toward his encampment.
     Reaching his own lines, the Captain discovered the confederate soldier was dead. He lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. It was his own son.
     The boy had been studying music in the south when war broke out. Without telling his father, he enlisted in the Confederate Army. The following morning, the heartbroken father asked permission of his superoirs  to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was partially granted.
     The request for the Army band to play a funeral dirge for his son was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. Out of respect for the father, they said they would give him one musician. The Captain chose a bugler to play a series of musical notes on a piece of paper found in the pocket of his son's uniform.
          Those few notes were the haunting melody we now know as "TAPS"
( Copied from The Striking Sixth, Newsletter of the 6th Marine Division, Jan-Mar 2000 )

 No.  Soldier Name            Side         Function           Regiment Name

  1       Burnham, Abraham           Union            Infantry          40th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  2       Burnham, Adam               Union             Infantry          40th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  3       Burnham, Albert               Union             Infantry          46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  4       Burnham, Curtis                Union            Infantry          40th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  5       Burnham, Erastus A.         Union             Infantry          24th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  6       Burnham, George A.         Union             Cavalry           4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry
  7       Burnham, Hannah S.         Union             Cavalry           7th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry
  8       Burnham, Hannah S.         Union             Cavalry               Sioux City, Iowa Cavalry
  9       Burnham, Harriet              Union              Cavalry           7th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry
  10     Burnham, Harriet              Union              Cavalry               Sioux City, Iowa Cavalry
  11     Burnham, James                Union             Cavalry            9th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry
  12     Burnham, James F.            Union             Infantry           15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  13     Burnham, Victor                Union            Cavalry             1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry
  14     Burnham, W. Nelson         Union             Infantry             4th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  15     Burnham, William              Union             Infantry           27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
  16     Burnham, William K.         Union             Infantry           18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry

Burnham, Andrew
Middle Initial ; J.
Company ; F.
Unit ;  7  Kentucky Cavalry
Rank in ; Asst. Surgeon
Rank out ; Asst. Surgeon
National Archives, Microfilm Box, Roll, and Record ; 000386, 0004, 00002282
Fought for ; Union

Burnham, (no first name listed)
Middle Initial ; J.
Company ; B
Unit ; 27 Tennessee Infantry
Rank in ; Private
Rank out ; Private
Misc.; Burnam, J.
National Archives ; Microfilm Box, Roll, and  Record ; 999231, 0006, 00003655.
Fought for ; Confederate

Burnham, Benjamin
Company ; B.
Unit ;  32  North Carolina Infantry
Rank in ; Corporal
Rank out ; Private
National Archives ; Microfilm Box, Roll, and Record ; 000230, 0006, 00000874.
Fought for ; Confederate

 Soldier                 Rank    Res.   Date/Muster       Comments
Burnham,Sumner M.   Private   Serena    8/27/1862           Killed Hartsville,Tn12/7/1862

Burnham, Hiram        Recruit    Payson    2/25/1864  Disch to accept Lt. in 44th US Col Troops
Burnham, Horace L.  Captain   Payson   7/10/1862   Promoted to Major
Burnham, William      Veteran   Payson   1/1/1864     Mo July 13,1865, Tr by pro, Lt. in UCT
Burnham,William W.  Private   Payson   8/20/1861    Re-enlisted as veteran

Burnham, Thomas    Private   Waltham   8/27/1862  Prom. to Corporal  Killed Peach Tree Ga. 7/20/1864

Burnham, Dwight     Private    Nelson           1/18/1864          Mustered out 11/23/1865
Burnham, Leander   Private    Oregon           2/12/1864          Mustered out 11/23/1865
Burnham, Mark      Corporal Paine's Point   2/12/1864          Died St. Louis 11/19/1864

Burnham, Robert    Recruit     Rushville        June 5,1864         Mustered out 9/24/1864

Hiram Burnham
Born ; c 1814, Cherryfield, Me.
Died ; September 9,1864  nr  Chaffin's Bluff va.
Prewar Profession ; Lumberman
War Service ; July 1861  Lt. Col. of 6th Maine,  December 1861  Col. Peninsula Campaign, Antietam, Fredericksburg, commanded Light Division / VJ Corps  at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, April 1864 appointed  Brig. Gen. of Volunteers, Commanded  2nd Bde /1st Division / KVJJJ Corps at Petersburg / killed /.

   Home