Fort Griswold is a former American defensive fortification in Groton, Connecticut named after Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold. The fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, in correspondence with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the Thames River. Griswold served to defend the port of New London, a supply center for the Continental Army 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.HistoryConstruction of the fort was begun on 5 December 1775 in response to the outbreak of the American Revolution. It was completed in 1778 and was also called "Groton Fort". It is located on a high hill with the ability to bombard ships entering the Thames River or the city of New London. About 100 feet below the main fort is a battery for additional guns which was originally built during the Revolutionary War and improved in the late 19th Century.In September 1781, British troops under Benedict Arnold raided and burned New London in the Battle of Groton Heights. The British were well informed of the layout of the fort, and Arnold approached the harbor from such an angle that the fort's guns could not engage his fleet. Arnold's troops eventually made landfall and encountered resistance. Artillery barrages and musket fire brought somewhat heavy casualties to each side. The British eventually broke into the fort, and Colonel William Ledyard surrendered by handing his sword, hilt-first, to the commanding British officer—who took the sword and immediately thrust it through Colonel Ledyard. Arnold abandoned the fort soon after and left New London in flames.
