When did the Battle of West Point take place?
The Battle of West Point occurred on the 16th of April 1865. Skirmishing began at 10 a.m. when pickets were driven in and shelling continued until 1:30 p.m.
The Battle of West Point occurred on the 16th of April 1865. Skirmishing began at 10 a.m. when pickets were driven in and shelling continued until 1:30 p.m.
Brigadier General Robert C. Tyler commanded the small fortification named after him. He was killed by a sniper while examining the battlefield, making him the last Confederate general to die in combat.
Union Brigadier General James H. Wilson divided his army to strike two critical rail junctions simultaneously. He ordered Colonel Oscar Hugh La Grange to attack West Point while he moved toward Columbus himself to destroy arsenals and supplies.
Confederates lost nineteen killed, twenty-eight wounded, and two hundred eighteen captured during the battle. Federal casualties totaled seven men killed and twenty-nine wounded.
A 35-yard square earthwork stood upon a hill on the Alabama side of the Chattahoochee River. The railway bridges were directly commanded by this structure which served as the primary defensive line protecting the critical rail center at West Point.