Gravesite Of Civil War-Era Soldier Located At Dry Tortugas National Park

Survey work for a new radio tower at Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida led to discovery of the original gravesite of a 22-year-old soldier who died at Fort Jefferson following the Civil War.

Private George Tupper died of yellow fever on October 6, 1873, just weeks short of completing his first year in the U.S. Army. His death occurred during a yellow fever outbreak that claimed multiple lives at the remote island fort and coincided with an approaching hurricane that prevented burial in the post cemetery, a park release said.

Historical records state that Tupper was buried in a “lime pit, near the parade, being the only remains buried within the fort limits.” While civilians may also have been buried within the parade grounds, Tupper is the only documented service member interred inside the fort. He was later exhumed and likely reinterred at Fort Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida, the release added.

The private's gravesite was discovered in June 2024 while archaeologists with the park’s cultural resources team, assisted by the NPS Southeast Archeological Center, were surveying potential locations for a radio tower. The team used ground-penetrating radar as part of compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to consider effects on historic properties before undertaking projects.

“Locating Private Tupper’s original grave allows us to honor him and the service members who lived and served at Dry Tortugas,” said Josh Marano, NPS archaeologist and field director for the project. “It is also a great reminder of why careful survey work before projects is essential.” 

Tupper served in Battery M, 1st U.S. Artillery, and enlisted in Boston on Oct. 16, 1872. Army records describe him as 5 feet 8 inches tall, with gray eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He listed his occupation as a “book binder,” though a commanding officer later described him as an actor. 

During the survey, archaeologists also recovered artifacts including buttons, marbles, bullets and clay smoking pipes that provide information about daily life at Fort Jefferson in the 19th century. The discovery supports ongoing research into the fort’s post cemetery, located on a nearby submerged island. While U.S. Army records document at least 83 deaths at Fort Jefferson, park archaeologists have since identified more than 200 individuals who died there, many previously listed as unknown.