Fort Griswold is a former American defensive fortification in

Groton, Connecticut Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is ...

named after Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold. The fort played a key role in the early stages of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, in correspondence with

Fort Trumbull Fort Trumbull is a fort near the mouth of the Thames River on Long Island Sound in New London, Connecticut and named for Governor Jonathan Trumbull. The original fort was built in 1777, but the present fortification was built between 1839 and 18 ...

on the opposite side of the Thames River. Griswold defended the port of

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...

, a supply center for the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

and friendly port for Connecticut-sanctioned privateers who attacked British ships. The 17-acre site is maintained as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

History

Construction of the fort was begun on December 5, 1775 in response to the outbreak of the

. It was completed in 1778 and was also called Groton Fort. It is located on a hill with the ability to bombard ships entering the Thames River. About 100 feet below the main fort is a battery for additional guns which was built during the Revolutionary War and improved in the late 19th century. In September 1781, British troops under

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

raided and burned New London. The British were well informed of the layout of Fort Griswold, and Arnold approached the river from such an angle that its guns could not engage his fleet. The British forces divided, some to burn New London and the rest to attack the fort in the

Battle of Groton Heights The Battle of Groton Heights (also known as the Battle of Fort Griswold, and occasionally called the Fort Griswold massacre) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 6, 1781 between a small Connecticut militia force le ...

. The British eventually broke into the fort, and Colonel

William Ledyard William Ledyard (December 6, 1738 – September 6, 1781) was a lieutenant colonel in the Connecticut militia who was killed during the American Revolutionary War. He commanded Fort Griswold in Groton and resisted the British forces during the ...

surrendered by handing his sword hilt-first to the commanding British officer—who took it and thrust it through Colonel Ledyard. Arnold abandoned the fort soon after and left New London in flames.

Later use

The fort was rebuilt and manned in several other conflicts, but the Battle of Groton Heights was its most prominent use. It was used during the War of 1812 by sailors commanded by Commodore

Stephen Decatur Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unit ...

when Decatur's three-ship squadron was blockaded by a larger British force in 1814. In the 1840s, the fort's lower battery was rebuilt for 20 guns, initially 32-pounder and 24-pounder cannons. After the American Civil War, the lower battery was redesigned to mount 10-inch

Rodman gun Drawing comparing Model 1844 8-inch columbiad and Model 1861 10-inch "Rodman" columbiad. The powder chamber on the older columbiad is highlighted by the red box. The Rodman gun is any of a series of American Civil War–era columbiads designed b ...

s. It was a sub-post of Fort Trumbull for most of its use by the Army, although it was never actively garrisoned after the Civil War and had an ordnance sergeant as caretaker. It was in the care of Ordnance Sergeant Mark Wentworth Smith from 1863 to 1879, a

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the ...

veteran who was wounded at the

Battle of Chapultepec The Battle of Chapultepec was a battle between American forces and Mexican forces holding the strategically located Chapultepec Castle just outside Mexico City, fought 13 September 1847 during the Mexican–American War. The building, sitting ...

. Sergeant Smith died in 1879 at age 76, the oldest active duty enlisted soldier in the history of the Army. Fort Griswold became obsolete after the Spanish–American War, when Fort H. G. Wright was completed in 1906 on

Fishers Island Fishers Island (Pequot: ''Munnawtawkit'') is an island that is part of Southold, New York, United States at the eastern end of Long Island Sound, off the southeastern coast of Connecticut across Fishers Island Sound. About long and wide, it ...

as part of the Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound.

State park

The State of Connecticut has owned and operated the site as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park since 1953. This includes the restored earthwork battery, cannons, and a

shot furnace Heated shot or hot shot is round shot that is heated before firing from muzzle-loading cannons, for the purpose of setting fire to enemy warships, buildings, or equipment. The use of heated shot dates back centuries; it was a powerful weapon agains ...

and powder magazine. The grounds include several monuments and memorials to state residents who fought in different wars: * The

Groton Monument The Groton Monument, sometimes called the Fort Griswold Monument, is a granite monument in Groton, Connecticut. It is dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781. The monument was originally high ...

is a granite obelisk dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights. It was built between 1826 and 1830 and stands tall with 166 steps. * The adjacent Monument House Museum features exhibits about the Revolutionary War and is operated by the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

through

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

. *The

Ebenezer Avery House The Ebenezer Avery House was originally located on Latham Street and Thames Street in Groton, Connecticut. The construction date is unknown, but it is believed to be from the 1760s and was the house of Ebenezer Avery. It was the home where the B ...

sheltered the wounded after the Battle of Groton Heights. It is a Revolutionary-period historic house museum that is open for tours on summer weekends.

References

External links

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Friends of Fort Griswold
{{authority control Griswold Griswold State parks of Connecticut Tourist attractions in New London County, Connecticut Closed installations of the United States Army Griswold Museums in New London County, Connecticut American Revolutionary War museums in Connecticut Buildings and structures in Groton, Connecticut Protected areas of New London County, Connecticut Griswold National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places Military installations established in 1775 1775 establishments in Connecticut Military installations closed in 1906 1906 disestablishments in Connecticut

History

Later use

State park

See also

References

External links