The Last Post started more as a timekeeping device for British soldiers of the 17th and 18th centuries than as a mournful song. "At that time soldiers didn't have wristwatches, so they had to be regulated in camp," Museum of Army Music archivist Colin Dean told BBC News. "They had to have a trumpet call or a bugle call to tell them when to get up, when to have their meals, when to fetch the post, when to get on parade, when to go to bed and all other things throughout the day." In all, there were more than 20 of these calls, starting with Reveille and ending with the Last Post.
According to the Taps Bugler, the Last Post most likely developed during the 17th century as part of a longer nighttime ritual. This was the Tattoo, when the officer on duty had to make sure that all sentry positions were filled and all off-duty soldiers were out of the bars and on their way to their quarters. The First Post would sound when the officer began his rounds and the Last Post would sound when he completed them. It was also played whenever a battle concluded, signalling to the wounded that it was safe to seek help, according to Classic FM. By the 1790s, it was published as a piece of music, according to BBC News.
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