Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, Part 2
For the 250th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. For the next few weeks, I will cover the historical sites in that area, starting with two parts on Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. In the first part, I covered the Groton Monument, the Monument House Museum, and other historical sites around the park. In the second part, I will cover the inside of Fort Griswold and Ebenezer Avery House, along with a more detailed story about the battle for which it is known.
In September 1781, the Continental Army was a month away from defeating Cornwallis at Yorktown, although the American Revolutionary War would not end until 1783. On September 6, infamous traitor General Benedict Arnold led British troops along the land near the Thames River. His soldiers attacked the fort, prompting a surrender from surviving American leader, Colonel Ledyard. Instead, Ledyard was killed by his own sword as he surrendered, and his soldiers were massacred inside the fort. An estimated 121 Americans died or were wounded in forty minutes, while the number for British soldiers was reported as 213. The British then burned and plundered the nearby town. The entire event was known as the Battle of Groton Heights and marked a largely forgotten low point in the war.
Memorials throughout the restored earthworks bastion fort tell the stories of the men who fought and died there. At the entrance to the fort is a gate with the names of men who defended the fort, most of whom were killed, wounded, or taken as prisoners of war. A pair of cannons in front of the gate were placed there in the 1840s when the earthworks were rebuilt. Among the most celebrated soldiers was Jordan Freeman of Lyme, CT, a free Black man who worked as the orderly for Ledyard, killed British leader Major Montgomery, and was soon killed in retaliation. An engraved stone marks the approximate spot where Ledyard was killed.
Besides the monuments, several buildings stand on the property. Two buildings were constructed in 1843, many years after the battle. The red brick shot furnace was used to heat up cannon balls so anyone hit with shrapnel would also be horrifically burned. The stone powder magazine was used to store gunpowder, as the name would suggest. Across the lawn is Ebenezer Avery House, built in 1750 and used as a temporary hospital for wounded American soldiers after the battle. Like in many old New England families, this name was recycled for several generations, making it difficult to tell at first glance which Ebenezer Avery built this house; five were alive at the time of its construction. However, the records show that Lieutenant Ebenezer Avery, son of Colonel Ebenezer Avery who died in 1780 and grand-nephew of the original Colonel Ebenezer Avery who died in 1752. Avery, was the house's owner at the time of the battle, where he died at age 48. Today, it is owned by the Avery Memorial Association, established in 1895 to preserve the memory of the family and its ancestral home.
The grounds of Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park are open from dawn to dusk all year. The museum and monument are open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parking and entry are free to all, and restrooms are available in the museum. The small gift counter has a variety of affordable options, including postcards and pins, while a group of picnic tables behind the museum is the perfect stop for a picnic lunch. Finally, a call-in audio tour guides visitors around the grounds at their own pace. Despite this being Independence Day 250, very few people were around, which was a plus for me. If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing Revolutionary War experience in Southern New England, this is an ideal visit.
