The Revolutionary War traitor who murdered 85 patriots at Fort Griswold, Connecticut

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park

On September 6, 1781, British forces under Benedict Arnold stormed Fort Griswold in Connecticut.

What began as a 40-minute battle ended in horror. After Colonel William Ledyard surrendered the fort, British soldiers killed him with his own sword and massacred 88 American defenders.

Only a handful had died before surrender, but nearly the entire garrison was slaughtered afterward.

Here’s what happened at this tragic site, now preserved as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park you can visit today.

British Plan To Attack New London

British General Henry Clinton grew angry about American privateers capturing valuable British merchant ships during summer 1781. He ordered an attack on New London for September 6th.

The attack would punish New London for sheltering privateers and pull American attention away from Virginia, where Washington’s army threatened British forces. Clinton picked Benedict Arnold to lead the raid.

Arnold grew up just 12 miles away in Norwich and knew the area well. Once a respected American general, Arnold had betrayed his country the year before.

Arnold gathered 1,700 British soldiers, German mercenaries, and American loyalists. He split his forces, leading troops against New London while sending 800 men to capture Fort Griswold.

Colonel Ledyard’s Decision To Defend

Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard faced a tough choice on the morning of September 6, 1781. As commander of Fort Griswold, he had only 165 militiamen and local volunteers against hundreds of British soldiers.

Most defenders were local farmers with basic military training. Many fought alongside family members to protect their homes.

British Colonel Edmund Eyre sent a messenger with a white flag demanding surrender. Ledyard talked with his officers and chose to fight.

He expected help from nearby towns to arrive soon. Though outnumbered, he felt the fort’s strong position on high ground might let them hold out until help came.

The British Assault Begins

British troops struggled through thick woods and swamps on their way to Fort Griswold. They reached the fort around 10:00 a.m. and prepared to attack.

Colonel Eyre sent a second surrender demand with a threat—if forced to storm the fort, all defenders would be killed, even if they tried to surrender later. Ledyard refused again.

The British split into groups to attack the fort from different sides at once. American defenders waited behind their walls. The fort had earthen and stone sides about twelve feet high, with a dry ditch and pointed stakes around it to slow attackers.

The Americans Fight Back

The British charged across open ground toward the fort. Captain Elias Halsey aimed an 18-pound cannon loaded with grapeshot at the advancing soldiers.

When fired, the grapeshot sprayed dozens of iron balls into the tight British ranks, like a giant shotgun. The blast killed many attackers.

Those still alive paused, regrouped, then pushed forward again. Colonel Eyre led an attack against the southwest corner. American fire hit many of his men, wounding Eyre himself and several officers.

The British Break Through

Major William Montgomery took over after Eyre fell. He led fresh troops toward an empty outpost near the eastern side of the fort.

From there, British soldiers crossed the ditch and climbed the walls. As Montgomery reached the top, Jordan Freeman, a Black American defender, killed him with a long pike.

Despite strong resistance, some British soldiers reached the main gate. They fought their way inside and opened it from within. The battle lasted just 40 minutes. Once inside, the larger number of British troops quickly overwhelmed the Americans.

Colonel Ledyard’s Surrender And Death

Colonel Ledyard saw the fort was lost. Too many British soldiers came through the gate while his men ran out of bullets.

He ordered his men to stop firing and prepare to surrender. Following military custom, Ledyard held out his sword handle-first to Major Stephen Bromfield, who had taken command after Montgomery died.

American witnesses reported Ledyard said, “I give you my sword.” Bromfield took the weapon, then immediately stabbed Ledyard with it.

The commander who had led the fort’s defense died on the parade ground. What should have been an honorable surrender turned deadly.

The Massacre Of The Garrison

British soldiers, angry about their heavy losses, ignored Ledyard’s surrender and attacked the unarmed Americans. The killing continued until almost every defender was dead or wounded.

Before the surrender, only a few Americans had died in the fighting. After the massacre, 85 were dead with another 35 seriously hurt.

Lambert Latham, another Black defender, reportedly killed the British officer who had murdered Ledyard before being killed himself. Tom Wansuc, a Pequot Indian defender, was stabbed in the neck with a bayonet.

The British claimed they thought the Americans had surrendered when the fort’s flag fell, then felt tricked when fighting continued.

Aftermath And British Withdrawal

Before leaving, British troops tried to blow up the fort’s gunpowder storage by lighting a powder trail. A brave American snuck back into the fort and put out the fuse, saving the building.

British losses were heavy—51 killed and 162 wounded, almost a quarter of their attack force. Many wounded later died on ships returning to New York.

The British put surviving Americans on a heavy cart to move them downhill. The cart broke free on the steep slope and crashed into a tree, hurting the already wounded men even more.

Across the river, Arnold’s troops burned buildings and ships in New London before leaving that evening.

The Ebenezer Avery House

The wounded American survivors needed shelter. British troops carried them to a nearby house belonging to Ebenezer Avery.

Avery fought in the battle and was among the wounded. His family took in their injured neighbors and fellow soldiers.

Built in 1750, the simple white house originally stood on Thames Street near the river. The British had set it on fire during their raid but put out the flames to use it as a field hospital.

The house now stands on the grounds of Fort Griswold State Park. Restored with period furniture, it shows how Connecticut families lived during Revolutionary times.

The Groton Monument

A 135-foot granite tower now stands near Fort Griswold. Connecticut citizens built this monument between 1826 and 1830 to honor those who died defending American freedom.

Visitors can climb 166 steps to reach the top. From there, they see the same view of the Thames River that made Fort Griswold so important.

A marble plaque lists the names of those killed in the massacre. The inscription notes they died “when the British, under the command of the traitor Benedict Arnold, burnt the towns of New London and Groton.”

This monument is the oldest of its type in America, built before the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston or the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.

Visiting Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park

You’ll find Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park at the corner of Park Avenue and Monument Street in Groton, Connecticut. The park grounds remain open year-round from sunrise to sunset with no admission fee.

When you visit, climb the 166 steps of the Groton Monument for panoramic views of the Thames River. Inside the Monument House Museum, you can see Colonel Ledyard’s sword and a detailed model of the 1781 fort.

Don’t miss the Ebenezer Avery House, where wounded American soldiers recovered after the battle.

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