"This is the historic site where, on September 6, 1781, British Forces, commanded by the infamous Benedict Arnold, captured the Fort and massacred 88 of the 165 defenders stationed there. The Ebenezer Avery House which sheltered the wounded after the battle has been restored on the grounds. A Revolutionary War museum also depicts the era. Fort Griswold was designated as a state park in 1953." (
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"Fort Griswold is a former American military base in Groton, Connecticut. Named after then Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold, the fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. In tandem with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the harbor, Griswold served to defend the port of New London, a supply center for the new Continental Army and a friendly port for Connecticut-sanctioned privateers who preyed on British ships.
The State of Connecticut now owns and operates the site as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. The site includes the restored earthwork battery, cannons, and a later period shot furnace and powder magazine. The grounds include several monuments and memorials to state residents who fought in different wars:
The Groton Monument, a granite monument dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights. Built between 1826 and 1830, the Monument stands 135 feet (41 m) tall with 166 steps.
The adjacent Monument House Museum which features exhibits about the Revolutionary War and is operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Ebenezer Avery House, which sheltered the wounded after the battle, is a Revolutionary-period historic house museum that is open for tours on summer weekends." (
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The marker is part of the Stabilization and Preservation of Fort Griswold, Phase 1, which reads:
On the morning of September 6, 1781, a British fleet under the command of former American general Benedict Arnold appeared at the mouth of the Thames River. Arnold’s mission was to destroy American privateers in New London and to capture military supplies stored there. The British troops were divided into two divisions of 800 men, with one landing on each side of the river. The division on the New London side, commanded personally by Arnold, marched upriver to the town, quickly taking in succession Fort Trumbull, Town Hill Fort, and New London. Despite orders to the contrary, many buildings were burned and homes plundered.
On the Groton side of the river, the British division under Lt. Col. Edmund Eyre marched toward Fort Griswold. Shortly after noon, with their troops in position to the north of the fort, Lt. Col. Eyre’s emissaries repeatedly demanded the surrender of the fort under a flag of truce. Fort Griswold’s commander, Col. William Ledyard, faced with the threat of no quarter, replied, “We will not give up the fort, let the consequences be what they may.”
The British troops assaulted but were driven back two times with heavy casualties, including Col. Eyre. During a brief lull in the fighting after the second assault, the American flag was shot from its halyard. Although instantly remounted on a pike pole, the British took this event as a signal of surrender, and they advanced again, only to be fired upon. Infuriated at being resisted after they believed the garrison had surrendered, they scaled the wall with renewed fury. Finally, a British soldier managed to open the gate, allowing the British troops to pour in.
Conflicting accounts indicate that even while Col. Ledyard ordered the garrison to surrender, some men continued firing from the barracks. In the heat of the battle, the British troops rampaged. When finally brought back under control, 88 Americans were dead including Col. Ledyard and another 35 wounded. Arnold reported his losses for the expedition at 51 dead and over 130 wounded.