The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-11-17
Military FORMS.
~ Why and Wherefore Of Many
Army Customs.
HAND AND SWORD SALUTEs.

r.. oriqi7 Of the Former Goes Back
- the Time of. the Borgias and the
alter to tina Knights of the Cru.
.ades--Funeral .volieys and Taps.
why does soldier when saluting
snperior raise his hand to his head
covering? The beginning dates back
IL the time of the Borgias, If not to IN
.,rier date In those days assassina-
inn was in vogue. and In order that
an inferior might not have superior
i advantage the inferior was COM
nelled when coming into his superior's
presence to raise his right hand, palm
n the front. to show that no dagger
was concealed there. From this old
custom our hand salute has come down.
The salute with the sword was not
sone that way in the beginning with
mt any reason. When knights Of the
.usades received their orders it was
Ibe custom for them to call upon God
IN witness their assumption Of the
orders given. TO do this the sword
vas raised to the front so that the
hIlt reached the lips. when the cross
formed by the hilt and blade could be
Kissed and an oath registered to carry
out the orders faithfully. The drop
ming of the sword. point to the front,
indicates submission.
Why in the funeral cortege Of a
mounted officer or soldier is the horse,
Saddled and equipped. with the boots
NJ the late rider placed heels to the
front in the stilrups. led to the place
IF burial? To show by reversal Of the
boots the owners march has ended
We must go back to the days of the
Romans for the reason why in the
service three volleys are fired over the
open grave Of a comrade. Among the
Romans the burial consisted of the
throwing of earth three times on the
coffin. Three times was the dead man
rallied by name which ended the cere-
,nony. aud as the friends and relatives
departed each said Vale" three
times So as farewell to our dead
comrades we fire three volleys over
the grave Then the service called taps
Is sounded, this closing the ceremony.
Why should the call taps be sounded
In preference TO any other? Because
taps is the call for lights out" and
the lights of life are out in the COM
rade who has Joined the silent
bivouac of the dead This ending of
a service funeral dates back to the
early fortles. but did not become a
fixed custom till late in the civil war.
There was Il, reason for causing all
witnesses before military court to
remove the glove from the right hand
before taking the oath. The raising
of the hands and eyes toward heaven
when taking an oath is of great an
tiquity. When the Bible was printed
the bare hand was laid on the book.
which was afterward kissed. But the
Bible was not always at hand when
needed So the custom OF raising the
right hand and uncoyering the head
has grown into general practice. In
olden days the criminal was branded
In the palm of the right hand. and for
this reason the custom of requiring
the removal of the glove came into
vogue in order that the hand might be
Inspected.
The colored silk sash long worn by
officers of our army. which for many
years has ceased to form part of the
uniform. except for general officers.
was not adopted simply because 1t
looked pretty. 1t was originally IL
tended that this snsh. which was very
strong. woven Of silk and could be
stretched out to over yard in width.
Should be used rs n hammock in which
wounded officers could be carried off
the battlefield.
And likewise the guady colored
horsehair plume that flowed from thu