Fort Tyler commemorative event marks 151 years since Battle of West Point
Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 14, 2016
WEST POINT — Soldiers both blue and gray will once again occupy Fort Tyler during the upcoming 151st commemorative event of the Battle of West Point, set for Saturday, April 16, at the historic site on 6th Avenue.
During the event, the fort will be open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. for tours and activities including musket drills, musket firing and soldier life demonstrations.
From 7:30 p.m.–10 p.m. attendees can experience the fort by candle light, as it might have been the night before the battle, and walk among the luminaries along the path.
Events are free and open to the public.
On April 16, 1865, a force of Union Cavalry commanded by Col. Oscar H. LaGrange attacked the earthen fort guarding the railroad and wagon bridges on the Chattahoochee River at West Point. Among the soldiers killed — unaware of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender seven days prior — was General Robert C. Tyler, fort commander.
It was the last Confederate fort to be captured during the Civil War east of the Mississippi.
For more information, visit www.forttyler.com.
