The general who composed “Taps”
Gen. Daniel Butterfield, of the Class of 1849, was in forty-three battle actions during the Civil War, suffered two wounds, was chief of staff of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, and won the Congressional Medal of Honor.
His most memorable contribution, however, was “Taps,” the beautiful bugle call that in life signals the end of day for the solider and in death is sounded at his or her grave.
“Taps” was composed in July, 1862, while Butterfield and his troops were bivouacked at Harrison's Landing on the banks of the James River near Richmond, Va. At that time, the bugler would play “Extinguish Lights” as the soldiers settled down for the night. Butterfield, however, had never really liked this call, saying it was colorless and not all soothing. He called his brigade bugler, O.W. Norton, and together they worked out a new melody. As Norton wrote later, “He changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me. After getting it to his satisfaction, he directed me to sound that call thereafter in place of the regulation call.”
Norton continued, “The music was beautiful on the still summer night and was heard far beyond the limits of our brigade. The next day I was visited by several buglers from neighboring brigades asking for copies of the music, which I gladly furnished.”
The new call spread though the Union army and was taken up by Confederate buglers. Ten years after the war, “Taps” was officially adopted by the Army.
Butterfield, a native of Utica, N.Y., studied law after graduating but entered business and became an executive with the eastern division of American Express Co. Commissioned a captain in the New York militia, he rose through the ranks quickly and was named a brigadier general in September, 1861. After the war, he served as assistant U.S. treasurer in the administration of President U.S. Grant before resuming his business career. He is buried at West Point. Butterfield Hall, built on campus in 1917-18, was erected as a memorial to him and was made possible by a $100,000 gift from his widow, Julia Lorillard Butterfield.