During the Civil War, West Point, Georgia was defended by the earthworks of Fort Tyler. Commanded by Confederate Brigadier General Robert C. Tyler whom the fort is named, Fort Tyler sits atop a small hill overlooking downtown West Point, the Chattahoochee River and, most importantly, the railroad trestle crossing the river.
On April 16, 1865, Union troops numbering 3,500 attacked Fort Tyler and its small group of 265 Confederate soldiers. Many soldiers on both sides lost their lives that day, unaware that Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant seven days earlier. Fort Tyler was the last Confederate fort captured by the Union, giving it the distinction, “Last Fort to Fall.”
During this Battle of West Point, General Robert C. Tyler was killed by a sniper, becoming the last Confederate General killed in the Civil War.
A marked trail leads visitors to the site of this small earthen fort. Explore the armament and the locations of the three artillery pieces. A 32-pounder naval gun was placed on the southeast corner for the fort to protect the rail system and bridges, while two 12-pounder Napoleon guns guarded the two main approaches into town, on the southwest and northwest corners.
