Fort Griswold is a former American defensive fortification in

Groton, Connecticut Groton ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located on the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United St ...

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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, in correspondence with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

. 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 outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

, a supply center for the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

and friendly port for Connecticut-based privateers who targeted British shipping. The site is maintained as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park by the

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is a state agency in the US state of Connecticut. The department oversees the state's natural resources and environment and regulates public utilities and energy policy. I ...

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 forces under

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

successfully captured Fort Griswold. 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 ships. Arnold's forces split up, 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 overran the American defenders, and Lieutenant-Colonel

William Ledyard Lieutenant-Colonel William Ledyard (December 6, 1738 – September 6, 1781) was an American military officer who served in the Connecticut Militia in the Revolutionary War. During the conflict, he commanded Fort Griswold in Groton, Connecticu ...

surrendered by handing his sword hilt-first to

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

officer Major Bromfield, who took it and thrust it through Ledyard. Arnold abandoned the fort soon after, and American forces eventually retook possession of it.

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 Commodore (United States), Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was a United States Navy officer. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County, Maryland, Worcester County. His father, Ste ...

when Decatur's three-ship squadron was blockaded by a larger

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

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 guns. 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 (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

veteran who was wounded at the

Battle of Chapultepec The Battle of Chapultepec took place between U.S. troops and Mexican forces holding the strategically located Chapultepec Castle on the outskirts of Mexico City on the 13th of September, 1847 during the Mexican–American War. The castle was buil ...

. 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 as part of the

Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound The Harbor Defenses of Long Island Sound was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps Harbor Defense Command, harbor defense command. It coordinated the coastal defence and fortification, coast defenses of Long Island Sound and Connecticut from ...

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 and powder magazine. The grounds include several monuments and memorials to state residents who fought in different wars: * The Groton Monument 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 National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

. 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 died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

through

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

. *The Ebenezer Avery House 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
Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park Foundation, Inc. {{authority control Griswold Griswold State parks of Connecticut Tourist attractions in New London County, Connecticut Former 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