Robert O. Tyler
Encyclopedia
Robert Ogden Tyler was an American
soldier who served as a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He is best known as the commander of the Artillery Reserve of the Army of the Potomac
, including at the Battle of Gettysburg
in July 1863, where many of his batteries
played important role in the Union victory. Tyler later led a division
of heavy artillery turned infantry
during the Overland Campaign
of 1864, when he was badly wounded and relegated to administrative duties for the duration of the war.
, to Frederick and Sophia (née Sharp) Tyler. He was a nephew of Daniel Tyler
, who also would serve as a general in the Civil War. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy
in West Point, New York
, and graduated 22nd of 52 cadets in the Class of 1853. He received a brevet
appointment as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the artillery. He subsequently served in a variety of posts throughout the country.
Tyler served as an artilleryman in the Utah Territory
during the Mormon disputes
and was among the U.S. Army officers who signed a petition supporting the reappointment of the controversial Mormon leader Brigham Young
as governor.
in Charleston, South Carolina
, Tyler was part of a hastily assembled relief force that tried unsuccessfully to reinforce the beleaguered garrison. That September, he was appointed as the colonel
of the 4th Connecticut Infantry. Tyler began training the men as artillerymen, and the regiment
was eventually renamed the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery.
The regiment served in the Peninsula Campaign
, and Tyler commanded the siege train of the Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen.
George B. McClellan
. On November 29, 1862, Tyler was promoted to brigadier general
of volunteers and assigned command of all the artillery in the "Center Grand Division" of the army. His guns participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg
, providing artillery support for the series of assaults on Confederate
positions on the heights near Fredericksburg
.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
assumed command of the Army of the Potomac and reorganized it, creating a formal Artillery Reserve under Tyler's command. Tyler commanded the reserve during the battles of Chancellorsville
and Gettysburg, where many of his guns were used to help repel Confederate attacks on such Union positions as Cemetery Ridge
and Cemetery Hill
, as well as during Pickett's Charge
on July 3. (Tyler was disabled by sun stroke during part of the Gettysburg campaign.) Tyler also participated in the autumn Bristoe
and Mine Run campaigns, but played no major role.
In early 1864, Tyler was assigned command of a division of infantry
consisting entirely of heavy artillery regiments, which he led at Harris Farm in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
, where it was attached to II Corps. He then led a brigade in 2nd Division, II Corps, at the Battle of Cold Harbor
. In the latter battle, Tyler was badly wounded in his foot, which incapacitated him from any further field duty during the war. After recovery, Tyler served in a variety of administrative posts.
rewarded scores of officers with brevet promotions dating from March 1865. Tyler received the brevet rank of major general
of volunteers for "great gallantry at the Battle of Cold Harbor". In 1866 he mustered out of volunteer service and was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel
in the regular army, serving as deputy Quartermaster General.
His wartime injuries contributed to his declining health, and Tyler died in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 42. He is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford. Before he died, he was able to complete his autobiography, the Memoir of Brevet Major-General Robert Ogden Tyler (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1878).
The Robert O. Tyler Post #50 of the Grand Army of the Republic
in Hartford was named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier who served as a general in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He is best known as the commander of the Artillery Reserve of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, including at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
in July 1863, where many of his batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
played important role in the Union victory. Tyler later led a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of heavy artillery turned infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
during the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
of 1864, when he was badly wounded and relegated to administrative duties for the duration of the war.
Early life and career
Tyler was born in the tiny hamlet of Hunter, New YorkHunter (village), New York
Hunter is a village in Greene County, New York, USA. The population was 502 at the 2010 census.The Village of Hunter is in the northwest part of the Town of Hunter on Route 23A.- History :...
, to Frederick and Sophia (née Sharp) Tyler. He was a nephew of Daniel Tyler
Daniel Tyler
Daniel Tyler was an iron manufacturer, railroad president, and one of the first generals of the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, who also would serve as a general in the Civil War. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, and graduated 22nd of 52 cadets in the Class of 1853. He received a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
appointment as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the artillery. He subsequently served in a variety of posts throughout the country.
Tyler served as an artilleryman in the Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
during the Mormon disputes
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
and was among the U.S. Army officers who signed a petition supporting the reappointment of the controversial Mormon leader Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
as governor.
Civil War
During the April 1861 crisis at Fort SumterFort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, Tyler was part of a hastily assembled relief force that tried unsuccessfully to reinforce the beleaguered garrison. That September, he was appointed as the colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 4th Connecticut Infantry. Tyler began training the men as artillerymen, and the regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
was eventually renamed the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery.
The regiment served in the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
, and Tyler commanded the siege train of the Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
. On November 29, 1862, Tyler was promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of volunteers and assigned command of all the artillery in the "Center Grand Division" of the army. His guns participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, providing artillery support for the series of assaults on Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
positions on the heights near Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
assumed command of the Army of the Potomac and reorganized it, creating a formal Artillery Reserve under Tyler's command. Tyler commanded the reserve during the battles of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
and Gettysburg, where many of his guns were used to help repel Confederate attacks on such Union positions as Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for the Union Army during the battle, roughly the center of...
and Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
, as well as during Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
on July 3. (Tyler was disabled by sun stroke during part of the Gettysburg campaign.) Tyler also participated in the autumn Bristoe
Bristoe Campaign
The Bristoe Campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, began to maneuver in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern...
and Mine Run campaigns, but played no major role.
In early 1864, Tyler was assigned command of a division of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
consisting entirely of heavy artillery regiments, which he led at Harris Farm in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
, where it was attached to II Corps. He then led a brigade in 2nd Division, II Corps, at the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
. In the latter battle, Tyler was badly wounded in his foot, which incapacitated him from any further field duty during the war. After recovery, Tyler served in a variety of administrative posts.
Postbellum career
At the close of the war, the War DepartmentUnited States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
rewarded scores of officers with brevet promotions dating from March 1865. Tyler received the brevet rank of major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of volunteers for "great gallantry at the Battle of Cold Harbor". In 1866 he mustered out of volunteer service and was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
in the regular army, serving as deputy Quartermaster General.
His wartime injuries contributed to his declining health, and Tyler died in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 42. He is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford. Before he died, he was able to complete his autobiography, the Memoir of Brevet Major-General Robert Ogden Tyler (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1878).
The Robert O. Tyler Post #50 of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
in Hartford was named in his honor.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals