Bangfxr;

I loved the tale of a Union Officer finding his dead Confederate Son with the lyrics and music of taps on his dead Son's person. It's toooo good not to be the truth. I'll always tell this story around the campfires and in beer joints I play my guitar in 'till I die. Myth...if it is...it's a good one and too I love just the thought of it. Kinda brings a tear to one's eyes.

Travis

Thanks to all for your time and replies.

Tom Zart


AS THE MADNESS OF WAR TELLS ITS STORY



Goodness must overrule absolute evil
Though there’s nothing worse than war.
Sometimes we have no alternative option
Except to kill or be killed as before.

The best of plans can go amiss
With uncertainties till the first shots are fired.
As generals plot their path toward victory
It’s up to the wounded, the fallen and tired.

It’s not how strong or athletic you are
That decides who is blessed to return.
Those who survive are a product of luck,
And our prayers and support they’ve earned.

War seems to peel the veneer off society
Exposing our villain within.
A crazy obsession to rule over others
By death, destruction and sin.

The mayhem of conflict is a ongoing scourge
Robbing man from intended glory.
The hinge of history swings in all directions
As the madness of war tells its story.

By Tom Zart

quote:

Originally posted by travisab1:
Bangfxr;

I loved the tale of a Union Officer finding his dead Confederate Son with the lyrics and music of taps on his dead Son's person. It's toooo good not to be the truth. I'll always tell this story around the campfires and in beer joints I play my guitar in 'till I die. Myth...if it is...it's a good one and too I love just the thought of it. Kinda brings a tear to one's eyes.

Travis

That story is complete BS: http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/taps.asp

Mule;

I know the Yanks would like to take credit for Taps as we know it today. Not going to happen that easy. The Yanks rewrote history and declared lincoln a hero. They're not getting Taps too. At least if they do it won’t be easy for them to do so. No-one knows for sure who is responsible for the origin of Taps.

Here’s an excerpt to go to that I found inside the link you provided.

“Interesting enough, The Ohio Military Reserve Sentinel (Spring 1997 Ed.) published a story by SGM Mendes (excerpted from Encyclopedia of Amazing But True Facts). The facts of the story from this article correspond exactly with that of COL Preston's. And, whether accurate or not, we may never know. As the letter to the Editor from Charles A. Robertson pointed out, "The fog of war, time, and personal observations are rarely in agreement as to actual events." Still, the story is so moving, it is worth republishing:
It all begin 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, Captain Ellicombe heard the moan of a soldier who lay mortally wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gun fire, the captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When the captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.”

To read on about his Son and the notes to Taps in his dead Sons pocket follow the link below.

http://www.sgaus.org/tap1.htm

Travis

Bivouac in the snow

Halt! the march is over,
Day is almost done;
Loose the cumbrous knapsack,
Drop the heavy gun.
Chilled and wet and weary,
Wander to and fro,
Seeking wood to kindle
Fires amidst the snow.

Round the bright blaze gather,
Heed not sleet nor cold;
Ye are Spartan soldiers,
Stout and brave and bold.
Never Xerxian army
Yet subdued a foe
Who but asked for a blanket
On a bed of snow.

Shivering, 'midst the darkness,
Christian men are found,
There devoutly kneeling
On the frozen ground-
Pleading for their country,
In its hour of woe-
For its soldiers marching
Shoeless through the snow.

Lost in heavy slumbers,
Free from toil and strife,
Dreaming of their dear ones-
Home and child and wife-
Tentless they are laying,
While the fires burn low-
Laying in their blankets,
'Midst December's snow.

CHRISTMAS NIGHT OF 1862

The wintry blast goes wailing by,
The snow is falling overhead;
I hear the lonely sentry's tread.

Dim forms go flitting through the gloom;
The soldiers cluster round the blaze
To talk of other Christmas days,
And softly speak of hearth and home.

My sabre swinging overhead
Gleams in the watch-fire's fitful glow,
While fiercely drives the blinding snow,
And memory leads me to the dead.

My thoughts go wandering to and fro,
Vibrating 'twixt the Now and Then;
I see the low-browed home again,
The old hall wreathed with mistletoe.

And sweetly from the far-off years
Comes borne the laughter faint and low,
The voices of the Long Ago!
My eyes are wet with tender tears.

I feel again the mother-kiss,
I see the glad suprise
That lightened up the tranquil eyes
And brimmed them o'er with tears of bliss.

As, rushing from the old hall-door,
She fondly clasped her wayward boy-
Her face all radiant with the joy
She felt to see him home once more.

My sabre swinging on the bough
Gleams in the watch-fire's fitful glow,
While fiercely drives the blinding snow
Aslant upon my saddened brow.

Those cherished faces all are gone!
Asleep within the quiet graves
Where lies the snow in drifting waves,-
And I am sitting here alone.

There's no comrade here to-night
But knows that loved ones far away
On bended knee this night will pray;
"God bring our darling from the fight."

But there are none to wish me back,
For me no yearning prayers arise.
The lips are mute and closed are the eyes-
My home is in the bivouac.

Thank you for your time and reply.

Tom Zart

Someone posted this in a Youtube site who call themself JDLK2005

This poem was written by an appearant Union souldier. I thought it to to good not to repost it here...

"As back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see more
But to and fro in my dreams I go and I kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, when you fell in the foggy dew"

"Long live Ireland, Long live the USA, long live justice, liberty and Freedom"


Travis

I didn't see this posted so here goes.

On fame's eternal camping ground their ghostly tent's are spread. While Glory guards on silent rounds, the bivouac of the dead.

This attributed to the civil war. I have no proof. The poem was supossedly posted at a mliltary cematery. ?

quote:

Originally posted by travisab1:
Bangfxr;

I loved the tale of a Union Officer finding his dead Confederate Son with the lyrics and music of taps on his dead Son's person. It's toooo good not to be the truth. I'll always tell this story around the campfires and in beer joints I play my guitar in 'till I die. Myth...if it is...it's a good one and too I love just the thought of it. Kinda brings a tear to one's eyes.

Travis

It is false. You can check it out on www.snopes.com, or truth or fiction.com. There is another called myth slayers.com. They all said the story is just that .A story.

I have always contended that there were 2 stories about "TAPS" . The one obout Gen'l Butterfield wanting a destincive tone for his command is the most acurate and true story.
There are to many other books stating the Butterfield call. Even Chamberland states that in his papers.

This is not a civil war poem but it is a good one for each of us to think about.

For while we sleep tonight, Our soldiers stand on foreign land to give us all the right to worry about things in life that mean nothing at all, Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall.
How about this one

I was what others did not want to be
I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing and accepted the thought of eternal loneliness should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror and felt the stinging cold of fear and enjoyed the sweetness of a women's love.
I have cried, pained and hoped but most of all I have lived times that others say are best forgotten.
I know that some day when my children ask it of me, I will be able to say ,I am proud I was an American soldier.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OLDAO,

I have that on parchment paper with a drawing of a union soldier in ragged uniform to one side. It's in a frame that was a going away gift from a shop I worked at for several years.
That is something that is true to all times.

quote:

Originally posted by bangfxr:
I have that on parchment paper with a drawing of a union soldier in ragged uniform to one side. It's in a frame that was a going away gift from a shop I worked at for several years.
That is something that is true to all times.

Thak you . You have just given me a very good Idea.

Dear OLDAO. Sir I am glad to have been of some assitance to you Sir. Will you be at Gettysburg ? if so and have not registered you have till 15 March to do so its expected to be 15-18,000 in uniform alone.

Your Obedient Servant
Bangfxr

quote:

Originally posted by bangfxr:
Dear OLDAO. Sir I am glad to have been of some assistance to you Sir. Will you be at Gettysburg ? if so and have not registered you have till 15 March to do so its expected to be 15-18,000 in uniform alone.

Your Obedient Servant
Bangfxr

Bangfxr: I will not be at Gettysburg or any other celebration this year. I am fighting lymphatic cancer. I have one leg that doesnt have any feeling in it and I have found out the true meaning of what catastrophic Illness can do to a bank account. It lends new meaning to the term from the penthouse to the outhouse. I wish you well and have a wonderful time at Gburg, should you run into JPOPE tell him howdy.

Dear OLDAO.
I am sorry about your not being well at this time. I hope all goes well with you sir. I will pass on your greetings to JPOPE should we meet on the field.If it doesn't insult you may I add you to my list of people whom I pray for.
YOS
bangfxr

I wish to thank all for your time taken to read
and reply to my works.

Tom Zart