Long-lost soldier’s grave discovered at remote US national park after 150 years

The discovery of Pvt.George Tupper’s burial site at Fort Jefferson, seen left, sheds new light on life and death at the remote 19th-century military outpost.Seen at right, a building foundation that was found during the excavation.(iStock;National Parks Service)

Historical records state that Tupper was buried in a “lime pit, near the parade, being the only remains buried within the fort limits.”

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Excavators did not find his remains, as they believe he was exhumed and reinterred at Fort Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola.

Archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar in compliance with federal regulations requiring agencies to consider impacts on historic properties, the announcement added.

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Excavators also found marbles, clay smoking pipes, buttons and bullets, which they said have shed light on daily life atFort Jeffersonin the 19th century.

Tupper is the only documented service member interred within the walls of Fort Jefferson, according to the NPS.

Locating Tupper’s grave “allows us to honor him and the service members who lived and served at Dry Tortugas.”

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“The discovery supports ongoing research into the fort’s post cemetery, located on a nearby submerged island,” the statement noted.

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“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.”

Tupper served in Battery M, 1st U.S.Artillery.He enlisted in Boston on Oct.16, 1872.

Fort Jefferson, located about 70 miles west of Key West, served as both a military outpost and a prison due to its remote location.(iStock)

Documents describe Tupper as “5 feet 8 inches tall, with gray eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion,” the release noted.

His previous occupation was recorded as a book binder — though a commanding officer later described him as an actor.

Officials said Tupper was the only documented service member buried within the walls of Fort Jefferson, making the discovery historically significant.(iStock)

 

Sunshine Statein the past year.

Pvt.George Tupper, who enlisted in Boston in 1872, died just a year later while stationed at the remote island fort in the Gulf of Mexico.(National Park Service)

Last year, a Florida manstumbled upon a shipwreckbelieved to date back 150 years.

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Months earlier, archaeologists excavating a historic district in theoldest U.S.cityuncovered remnants of its briefBritish era.