The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-12-24

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to this Time Of the Borsias and the
Latter to tho knishts' of The CRU
sades-Funerai vc,.ays and Taps.
Why does soldier when salutins q
superior raise his. hand to his head
coNerlng2 The beginning dates bach
to the time of the Borgias. If not 10 al
earlier date In those days assassina-
tion was In vogue. and in order that
an inferior might not have superior
at advantage the inferior was com
PEELED when coming into his superior $
presence to raise his right hand, palm
to the front. to show that no dagger
was concealed there. From this old
custom our hand salute has come down
Tie salute with the sword was not
done that way i'll the beginning with
out any reason. When knights of the
crusades received their orders it was
The custom for them to cal upon GCd
10 witness their assumption of the
ort,e:s given TO do this the sword
was raised to the front SO that the
hit 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
ping 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
OF the late rider placed heels to the
front in the stirrups, led to the place
of 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 fred over the
open grave of cOmrade. Among the
Romans the burial consisted Of the
throwing of earth three times on the
coffin. Three times was the dead man
called by name, which ended the cere-
mony, and as the friends and relatives
departed each said ''Valer 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 cont
radei,, who has Joined the silent
biYeGac, of the dead" This ending of
a,seTiee funeral dates back, to, the
early forties. but did not become d
fixed custom till late. ~ the civil war.
There was a reason for. causing all
witnesses before "a. military. court, TO
repoye the glove. from, the right, hand
before taking the oath. The raising
Of the bands and eyes toward heaven
when taking an, eath. IS of great. All
tiquity.. When the Bible. was printed
the bare hand was laid on the book,
which WIS afterYard kissed. But the
Bible was not always at hand when
needed. So the custom of raising the
right hard and umcoverinx the head
has grown into general practice. In
oiisn days the criminal was branded
In the palm OF the right hsanI, ami for
this reason the custom OF requiring
the removal Of the glove. came into
vogue in order thet the brand might bt.
inspected.
The cespred silk sash lNag WORN by
ofaceRs Of our array. whteA for many
years has ceased 10 form part If the
uniform, except Tor gers~Sal oflieefs-
was not adopted simply because il
looked pretty. ft was originally i'm
tended that this sash. whieh was very
strong. woven Of silk and coHld he
stretched out to- over yard in width
should be used rs hammock i'm which
wounded officers could be carried of
the battlefield
And likewise. the guady eolofed
hOrsehair plume. that flowed from the
helmet was not placed there because it
looked so we'll. The original hair plume
hung down Or the shoulders Of the
wearer. and it was intended that ii
should be II safeguard against saber
cut aimed at the back of the neck. for
/ the long thick hair would turn the
blow and save decapitation or an ugly
wound. Today the little hair tuft seen
on the headdress Of mounted soldiers
is the result
! There is Il reason why the flag al
half staff. as an Indication of sorrow
| must always be hoisted TO the top OF
the staff before being lowered. The
4 flag is saiuted when raised and low
cred only when it is at the peak OF
/ the staff so when it is necessary t(
display it at half mast it must be rails
ed to the top before being finally low
8ered. for at this time the gun fires it,
salute. and either the band or thu
trumpeters are sounding appropriate
music or call.
Twenty-one guns, the number free
in the international salute. were no
selected at random. The number wa
chosen by our government because
was the number long used by the Brit
ish for their International salute. VIII,
the British used twenty-one guns wa
no doubt due to an early custom whicl
had for a warship salute seven guns