Taps Ceremony Expands to Lincoln Cemetery
June 24, 2025 by Leon Reed
For the ninth consecutive year, the solemn sounds of “Taps” are echoing through Gettysburg National Military Park each evening as part of the One Hundred Nights of Taps program. Traditionally held at the Soldiers’ National Monument, the nightly tribute now takes place at the Pennsylvania Memorial, where it continues to draw volunteer buglers and history enthusiasts from across the country.
This year, the program is expanding. Beginning last Sunday, June 22, a weekly Taps ceremony is being held at Lincoln Cemetery every Sunday at 6:00 p.m. through August 31. The inaugural performance at the historic site was sounded by Priscilla King of York, Pennsylvania.
Lincoln Cemetery, established in 1867 by the Sons of Good Will, served as a final resting place for African American veterans who were denied burial in national cemeteries. Since 1999, the cemetery has been maintained by the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association. Formerly led by the late Betty Dorsey Myers, the association is now headed by Jean Howard Green.
The main One Hundred Nights of Taps program continues each evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Memorial, located on Hancock Avenue at Pleasonton Avenue, a stop on the official Gettysburg Battlefield Tour. Each ceremony includes a brief historical presentation—known as Enduring Pathways—delivered by licensed battlefield guides and representatives of the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania. Topics vary nightly and cover figures such as Abraham Lincoln, the Soldiers’ National Monument, and the history of “Taps.”
Participants in the bugler corps include active-duty military musicians, veterans, Civil War re-enactors, music educators, students, and community band members.
The program is organized by the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania. The Lincoln Fellowship also sponsors the annual Dedication Day ceremony each November 19, marking the anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.