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Officials at a Florida national park have identified the burial site of a 19th-century Army private — the only known service member buried within a historic fort’s walls.
In a March 31 statement, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that its archaeologists found the resting place of Private George Tupper at Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park — about 70 miles west of Key West.
The excavation took place in June 2024 during site surveys for a planned radio tower, though officials did not announce the discovery until just recently.
Tupper died of yellow fever on Oct. 6, 1873, during an outbreak that killed multiple people at the fort. He was 22 years old.
Tupper appears to have been buried inside the fort because an approaching hurricane prevented transport to the post cemetery, where others were typically interred.
The discovery of Private 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.”
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 has shed light on daily life at Fort Jefferson in 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.”
“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.
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Locating Tupper’s grave “allows us to honor him and the service members who lived and served at Dry Tortugas,” said Josh Marano, the field director of the project, in a statement.
“It is also a great reminder of why careful survey work before projects is essential,” the archaeologist added.
Officials said Tupper was the only documented service member buried within the walls of Fort Jefferson, making the discovery historically significant. (iStock)
Fox News Digital reached out to the NPS for further comment.
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Dry Tortugas National Park is known for its crystal-clear waters and remote location, accessible only by boat or seaplane. Its isolation made it ideal for use as a military outpost and prison.
The find is the latest in a string of discoveries across the Sunshine State in the past year.
Private 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 man stumbled upon a shipwreck believed to date back 150 years.
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Months earlier, archaeologists excavating a historic district in the oldest U.S. city uncovered remnants of its brief British era.
