He was born in the spring of 1760 in or near
Edinburgh the son of
William Tytler and his wife, Anne Craig of Costerton. Trained as a career soldier he joined as an Ensign in the
57th Regiment of Foot and was dispatched to fight in the
American War of Independence in 1776 under Lord Cornwallis. He was stationed on
Long Island under
Sir William Howe. He saw action at the
Battle of Brooklyn in August 1776. He purchased a lieutenancy and led troops in the
Battle of Monmouth Courthouse against Washington in June 1778. His battalion was then placed under overall command of
Sir Charles Grey and attacked the village of Topan. During this attack he personally captured Washington's aide-de-camp Captain Randolph. Randolph was later released, and Tytler later encountered him when he, himself, was captured. This led to him having breakfast with
George Washington, whom he greatly admired. He also took part in the
Battle of Jamestown and at
Fort Montgomery. After the peace of 1782 he transferred to the 56th Regiment at the rank of Major. In 1793 he became aide-de-camp to Sir
Ralph Abercrombie and fought with him in the
Netherlands campaign. In Flanders he fought in the
Battle of Cambray and
Battle of Famars in May 1793. He was soon after promoted to Colonel in Lord Elgin's Fencibles. then at 11 Melville Street in Edinburgh's West End. He was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1814 and resigned in 1836. He was still living at 11 Melville Street. He died at his son-in-law's estate, Ardona in
Clackmannanshire (near
Alva) on 14 March 1849 aged 89. He is buried in the grave of his father-in-law, Lord Alva, in
St Cuthbert's churchyard at the west end of
Princes Street in
Edinburgh. His will is held by the National Archive in Kew. ==Family==