Fort Tyler Cemetery
The cemetery contains the graves of
76 soldiers, 26 of whom died during
the Battle of West Point on April 16,
1865.
The cemetery contains the graves of
76 soldiers, 26 of whom died during
the Battle of West Point on April 16,
1865.
The Last General Killed
Brig. Gen. Robert C. Tyler (CSA) of
Tennessee was the last general of
either side to be killed in the War
Between the States (or Civil War).
Brig. Gen. Robert C. Tyler (CSA) of
Tennessee was the last general of
either side to be killed in the War
Between the States (or Civil War).
Fort Tyler Cemetery in West Point, Georgia
| Fort Tyler Cemetery Brig. Gen. Robert C. Tyler and his friend Captain C. Gonzalez both fell at Fort Tyler and are buried in a common grave. |
Last General Killed in Civil War
Fort Tyler Cemetery, contains the remains of
76 soldiers, both Union and Confederate,
who died during the War Between the States
(or Civil War).
The small brick-enclosed burial ground is
located in the southwest corner of Pinewood
Cemetery in West Point, Georgia. Among
those buried there is the last general of
either side killed during the war.
Brig. Gen. Robert C. Tyler of Tennessee was
a brave Confederate officer. He had been
wounded multiple times during the War
Between the States, even losing a leg at
Missionary Ridge in 1863.
By the spring of 1865, he was in command of
the small band of soldiers assigned to
protect the bridge over the Chattahoochee
River at West Point. Gen. Robert E. Lee had
surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court
House in Virginia on April 9, 1865, but
Southern troops in Georgia had not yet given
up the fight.
On April 16, 1865, more than 3,000 Union
troops headed by Col. O.H. LaGrange left
Auburn, Alabama, and headed for the river
crossings at West Point. Local tradition holds
that Gen. Tyler pledged that he would either
be victorious or die in the effort.
Tyler and his 120 or so regulars were joined
by perhaps another 145 sick and wounded
from local hospitals along with a few Georgia
militiamen and civilian volunteers. Together
they raised their flag atop Fort Tyler and
waged a desperate battle against the much
larger Union force.
When the tide of the battle turned against the
Confederates, the general surrendered his
life in a brave show of defiance. Witnesses
said he walked into the open entrance of the
fort and faced the enemy. Union soldiers
immediately shot him down and he never
moved again.
Tyler was joined in death by his long-time
friend, Captain C. Gonzalez of the 1st Florida
Infantry. Both are buried in a common grave
at Fort Tyler.
Interred nearby are the 17 other Confederate
soldiers killed at Fort Tyler during the Battle
of West Point. Seven Union soldiers killed in
the action are also thought to be buried in the
cemetery.
76 soldiers, both Union and Confederate,
who died during the War Between the States
(or Civil War).
The small brick-enclosed burial ground is
located in the southwest corner of Pinewood
Cemetery in West Point, Georgia. Among
those buried there is the last general of
either side killed during the war.
Brig. Gen. Robert C. Tyler of Tennessee was
a brave Confederate officer. He had been
wounded multiple times during the War
Between the States, even losing a leg at
Missionary Ridge in 1863.
By the spring of 1865, he was in command of
the small band of soldiers assigned to
protect the bridge over the Chattahoochee
River at West Point. Gen. Robert E. Lee had
surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court
House in Virginia on April 9, 1865, but
Southern troops in Georgia had not yet given
up the fight.
On April 16, 1865, more than 3,000 Union
troops headed by Col. O.H. LaGrange left
Auburn, Alabama, and headed for the river
crossings at West Point. Local tradition holds
that Gen. Tyler pledged that he would either
be victorious or die in the effort.
Tyler and his 120 or so regulars were joined
by perhaps another 145 sick and wounded
from local hospitals along with a few Georgia
militiamen and civilian volunteers. Together
they raised their flag atop Fort Tyler and
waged a desperate battle against the much
larger Union force.
When the tide of the battle turned against the
Confederates, the general surrendered his
life in a brave show of defiance. Witnesses
said he walked into the open entrance of the
fort and faced the enemy. Union soldiers
immediately shot him down and he never
moved again.
Tyler was joined in death by his long-time
friend, Captain C. Gonzalez of the 1st Florida
Infantry. Both are buried in a common grave
at Fort Tyler.
Interred nearby are the 17 other Confederate
soldiers killed at Fort Tyler during the Battle
of West Point. Seven Union soldiers killed in
the action are also thought to be buried in the
cemetery.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Also buried at Fort Tyler Cemetery are 50
other soldiers who died during the war. Their
identities are unknown and it is possible that
some may be men who died from their
wounds after the battle. The rest are likely
soldiers who died in the military hospitals at
West Point of disease or wounds suffered
during the Atlanta Campaign.
The Fort Tyler Cemetery is located in the
southwest corner of Pinewood Cemetery on
U.S. 29 North in West Point, Georgia. When
you enter Pinewood Cemetery, look for the
large trees and brick enclosure which mark
the Civil War graves.
Street-side historic markers adjacent to the
enclosure detail the history of the cemetery
as well as the life of General Tyler, the last
general officer to fall in the Civil War.
The Fort Tyler Cemetery is open to the public
during daylight hours. The reconstructed Fort
Tyler, located across the Chattahoochee
River on 6th Avenue, 1/2 block north of 10th
Street in West Point, Georgia.
other soldiers who died during the war. Their
identities are unknown and it is possible that
some may be men who died from their
wounds after the battle. The rest are likely
soldiers who died in the military hospitals at
West Point of disease or wounds suffered
during the Atlanta Campaign.
The Fort Tyler Cemetery is located in the
southwest corner of Pinewood Cemetery on
U.S. 29 North in West Point, Georgia. When
you enter Pinewood Cemetery, look for the
large trees and brick enclosure which mark
the Civil War graves.
Street-side historic markers adjacent to the
enclosure detail the history of the cemetery
as well as the life of General Tyler, the last
general officer to fall in the Civil War.
The Fort Tyler Cemetery is open to the public
during daylight hours. The reconstructed Fort
Tyler, located across the Chattahoochee
River on 6th Avenue, 1/2 block north of 10th
Street in West Point, Georgia.
Reunited in Death
The dead of both sides that fell in
the Battle of West Point are buried at
Fort Tyler Cemetery. The battle took
place one week after Robert E. Lee
surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.
The dead of both sides that fell in
the Battle of West Point are buried at
Fort Tyler Cemetery. The battle took
place one week after Robert E. Lee
surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.
Fort Tyler in West Point, Georgia
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| Copyright 2011 & 2015 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. Last Updated: April 14, 2015 |
FORT TYLER CEMETERY
West Point, Georgia
West Point, Georgia
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