03/31/2026
New discovery!
Over 150 years after his death, archeologists have identified the original burial site of Private George N. Tupper, a 22-year-old soldier who died of yellow fever in 1873 at Fort Jefferson on Garden Key
Tupper enlisted in Boston as a “bookbinder” (though a commanding officer called him an “actor”) and served in Battery M, 1st U.S. Artillery. Army records describe him as 5 feet 8 inches tall, with gray eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. His death came just before a hurricane which made burial at the post cemetery (located outside the fort walls on a different island) impossible. Historical records note he is the only service member buried inside the fort’s walls. He was later likely reinterred at Fort Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.
The survey, which used ground-penetrating radar, also uncovered artifacts such as buttons, marbles, bullets, and clay pipes, all of which offered a glimpse into daily life at Fort Jefferson in the 19th century.
This discovery adds to ongoing research into Fort Jefferson’s human stories, helping identify some of the 200+ people who died at the fort, many previously unknown.
For more information about Private Tupper, visit: https://www.nps.gov/drto/learn/historyculture/private-george-tupper.htm
For more information about the submerged post hospital and cemetery, visit: https://www.nps.gov/drto/learn/news/underwater-hospital-and-cemetery.htm
Image 1 - Private Tupper's record of burial in the 'Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations, 1768-1921' - Reads: 'Buried inside the Fort / Tupper, Geo. N. / 1 U.S. Arty [1 st U.S. Artillery] / Oct 6, 1873' - courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration
Image 2 - A newspaper clipping from page 2 of the Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pa.) dated October 18, 1873 describing Private Tupper's burial inside Fort Jefferson due to an incoming hurricane - courtesy of NPS
Image 3 - The same survey also revealed a building foundation - NPS photo
