Robert O. Tyler | |
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 Robert O. Tyler | |
| Born | (1831-12-31)December 31, 1831 Hunter,New York |
| Died | December 1, 1874(1874-12-01) (aged 42) Boston,Massachusetts |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1853–1874 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General BrevetMajor General |
| Commands | Artillery Reserve,Army of the Potomac 4th Division,II Corps |
| Battles / wars | |
| Other work | author |
Robert Ogden Tyler (December 31, 1831 – December 1, 1874) was an American military officer in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War. He graduated from theUnited States Military Academy in 1853 and fought in theYakima War and theUtah War. He commanded the Artillery Reserve in theArmy of the Potomac at theBattle of Gettysburg in July 1863, where hisartillery batteries played an important role in the Union victory. Tyler also led adivision of heavy artillery turnedinfantry during theOverland Campaign in 1864. He was severely wounded at theBattle of Cold Harbor and served in administrative duties for the remainder of the war.
Tyler was born inHunter, New York, to Frederick and Sophia (née Sharp) Tyler. He moved with his family toHartford, Connecticut when he was 7 years old.[1] He was a nephew ofDaniel Tyler, who also served as a general in the Civil War. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy inWest Point, New York, and graduated 22nd of 52 cadets in the Class of 1853.[2]
He received abrevet appointment as asecond lieutenant and was assigned to the artillery. In the Spring of 1854, he served under ColonelEdward Steptoe and was stationed at thePresidio inSan Francisco, California.[1] In 1855, he was stationed atFort Vancouver andFort Dalles where he fought in theYakima War. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on September 1, 1855.
Tyler served as an artilleryman in theUtah Territory during theUtah War and was among the U.S. Army officers who signed a petition supporting the reappointment of the controversial Mormon leaderBrigham Young as governor.[3]
In 1858, he fought in theCoeur d'Alene War in theBattle of Four Lakes and theBattle of Spokane Plains. In 1859, he served underThomas W. Sherman atFort Ridgely in Minnesota. He returned East in 1860 and served atFort Columbus Recruiting Depot in New York until the outbreak of the Civil War.[4]
During the April 1861 crisis atFort Sumter inCharleston, South Carolina, Tyler was part of a hastily assembled relief force that tried unsuccessfully to reinforce the beleaguered garrison.[5] He was promoted to captain on May 17, 1861 and ordered to Alexandria, Virginia to set up supply depots for the Union forces in Virginia and Washington, D.C.. On September 17, 1861 he was appointedcolonel of the4th Connecticut Infantry.[6] Tyler began training the men as artillerymen, and theregiment was renamed the1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery on January 2, 1862.
The regiment served in thePeninsula Campaign, and Tyler commanded the siege train of the Army of the Potomac underMaj. Gen.George B. McClellan. He received commendations for his participation in theBattle of Hanover Court House, theBattle of Gaines' Mill and theBattle of Malvern Hill.[7] On November 29, 1862, Tyler was promoted tobrigadier general of volunteers and under GeneralAmbrose Burnside was assigned command of all the artillery in the "Center Grand Division" of the army. He was the second officer in the artillery to hold that position, the other beingHenry Jackson Hunt.[5] His guns participated in theBattle of Fredericksburg, providing artillery support for the series of assaults onConfederate positions on the heights nearFredericksburg.
Maj. Gen.Joseph Hooker assumed command of the Army of the Potomac and reorganized it, creating a formal Artillery Reserve under Tyler's command. The reserve was expanded to five brigades and 118 guns.[5] Tyler commanded the reserve during the battles ofChancellorsville andGettysburg, where many of his guns were used to help repel Confederate attacks on Union positions such asCemetery Ridge andCemetery Hill, as well as duringPickett's Charge on July 3. During the battle, he had two horses shot from under him.[8] Tyler was disabled bysun stroke during part of the Gettysburg campaign.[9] In the Fall of 1863, Tyler also participated in theBristoe andMine Run campaigns, but played no major role.
In early 1864, Tyler was assigned command of a division ofinfantry consisting entirely of heavy artillery regiments, which he led at Harris Farm in theBattle of Spotsylvania Court House, where it was attached toII Corps. He then led a brigade in 2nd Division, II Corps, at theBattle of Cold Harbor and was severely wounded by a bullet in his ankle[10] which incapacitated him from any further field duty during the war. After a 6 month recovery, Tyler served in an administrative role in command of the District of Delaware and the Eastern Shore with his headquarters in Philadelphia.[11]
At the close of the war, theWar Department rewarded scores of officers with brevet promotions dating from March 1865. Tyler received the brevet rank ofmajor general of volunteers for "great gallantry at the Battle of Cold Harbor". In 1866 he mustered out of volunteer service and was commissioned as alieutenant colonel in theregular army, serving as deputy Quartermaster General in several locations.[11]
His wartime injuries contributed to his declining health, and Tyler died inBoston, Massachusetts, at the age of 42. He is buried inCedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford.[2] Before he died, he was able to complete his autobiography, theMemoir of Brevet Major-General Robert Ogden Tyler (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1878).
The Robert O. Tyler Post #50 of theGrand Army of the Republic in Hartford was named in his honor.[12]
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