Battle of Fort Griswold

tory

One of the last battles fought during the American Revolutionary War was fought near New London, Connecticut at a small fort called Fort Griswold which was an outpost held by around 164 Connecticut milita under the command of William Ledyard. A British landing force from New York City landed near the coast to engage the fort near the New London port. Commanding the British 1,700-strong force was the former Patriot commander Benedict Arnold, the colonial-turned-traitor who was ordered to take the harassing fort and its garrison.

On September 6, 1781, Arnold led the British into at attack against Fort Griswold. Although the defenders fought bravely and fiercely, they were overwhelmed by the number of British troops attacking which scaled the walls of the fort, and opened the front gate allowing the rest of the army to pour into the compound. Only about 20 Americans managed to escape from the fort, leaving behind some 85 killed and around 60 wounded to the British who suffered some 48 dead and 145 wounded in the taking of the fort. The fort was then ordered burned down by Arnold who then moved the British force back to New London, and then to New York.

References

"The Concise Illustrated History of the American Revolution"; Eastern Acorn Press, 1972.