Fort Griswold: Home to Connecticut's Only Revolutionary War Battle

The Fort

Fort Griswold was one half of a two-part defense system that was designed to protect the rich port city of New London, which housed many supply warehouses. Fort Griswold was located on the east side of the Thames River in an area known as Groton Heights. Directly across the river was New London's unfinished Fort Trumbull.

Fort Griswold was built on a steep slope in a rectangular layout. There was a large bunker to the east, and protective fortifications on the outer edges. As added protection, there was a trench surrounding the fort and the stone-faced walls were topped with sharpened cedar pickets pointing outward. The fort was fully stocked with ammunition and in good condition on that fateful day in 1781.

The Battle

The British attacked at Fort Griswold, in part, as a result of privately-owned American vessels taking supplies from British ships in the waters outside of New London. When they took the supply ship Hannah's riches, which included British officer supplies bound for officers stationed in New York City, it was the last straw.

Traitorous Benedict Arnold who lived and served in Connecticut, and was familiar with Fort Griswold, led the British invasion on New London and Groton Heights. The battalion of 800 British soldiers followed the well-attuned Arnold into the mouth of the Thames River.

The area citizens were awakened in the early morning hours of September 6 with the report that the British had landed on both sides of the river and were quickly approaching. Taken by complete surprise, the colonials were too disorganized to effectively defend against such a force. The British were met with little resistance when they invaded and burned most of New London (over 140 buildings), including the targeted warehouses full of naval supplies and huge stockpiles of valuable goods.

The 800 troops slowly approached the Fort Griswold. Here, 165 men hastily assembled under the direction of Colonel William Ledyard. Obviously the underdog, Colonel Ledyard and his officers decided to defend the fort with the belief that reinforcements would be arriving soon. The British commander signaled with flags demanding that the Americans surrender. Colonel Ledyard and his troops refused and the British stormed the fort.

At the end of a battle that lasted only 40 minutes, 88 of the 165 Americans lay dead, and 45 were seriously wounded. The colonial militia's reinforcements never came. Legend has it that when the British soldiers reached and entered the main gate of the fort, Colonel Ledyard submitted his sword and tried to surrender; only to be immediately killed with his own sword. Most of the colonial soldiers were killed in the bloody massacre that ensued.

Visiting the Site Today

Today's Fort Griswold State Park has several points of interest. Erected in 1830, the granite Groton Monument is 134 feet high, and memorializes those that gave their lives in defense of the fort. A steep spiral staircase winds its way to the top of the pointed obelisk. One hundred and sixty-six steps lead to a narrow viewing area where you can see for miles in every direction. The 360 degree view includes nearby New London and the mouth of the Thames River, where it opens out to the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. Visitors enjoy watching ferries and submarines go up and down the busy river.

Each year a huge fireworks show is scheduled for the middle of July. It's produced by the world-famous Grucci family, known for their New York City fireworks displays, as well as many other high profile events. The fort is a prime viewing spot for the world-class fireworks display that's launched from three barges in the Thames River.

The Park has a 113-year old stone museum adjacent to the monument. This museum has exhibits that cover local colonial history, Native American history, and the Battle of Groton Heights. Colonel Ledyard's sword is on display here during the summer, and there's a comprehensive small scale model of the fort as it was in 1781.

The fort grounds are also home to the Ebenezer Avery house. The house was moved from its original location a few blocks away to the northern side of the park in 1971, where it was painstakingly rebuilt and restored. The Avery house was used in the Battle of Groton Heights as a medical station to treat wounded soldiers. A tragic accident happened in the hours following the Battle of Groton Heights. A cart bringing the colonials' wounded from the battlefield to the Avery house broke free and careened down the steep slope. It crashed into a tree and caused even more misery.

You can tour the inside of the Avery house and see period furnishing and examples of early colonial life. The house is staffed with a docent that has a lifetime of information about the area's history, the fort, and the colonial period.

The monument and the museum are open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and all the park's points of interest are free of charge. There is an annual reenactment of the Battle of Groton Heights on Labor Day weekend. Uniformed British redcoats "invade" the fort and American militia engage in a reenactment of the battle. The largest reenactment in recent years was in 2006, when the fort commemorated the 225th anniversary of the battle. Click here to see a video snippet of the 225th anniversary reenactment and for more information on the fort, go to the State of Connecticut link.