Conflict:

The Battle of Groton Heights took place during the American Revolution (1775-1783).

Date:

Benedict Arnold launched his raid on September 6, 1781.

Armies & Commanders:

British

• Brigadier General Benedict Arnold
• Lt. Colonel Edmund Eyre
• 1,700 men

Americans

• Colonel William Ledyard
• 164 men

Battle of Groton Heights Summary:

In the summer of 1781, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, the commander of British forces in North America, elected to launch a raid against New London, CT from his base at New York.

The motives behind this attack were twofold as Clinton wished to distract the forces of General George Washington as well as destroy an active American privateering base. To command the expedition, Clinton chose Norwich, CT native and famed traitor Benedict Arnold. Given a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army after deserting the American cause in 1780, Arnold began preparing his strike force.

Embarking 1,700 men, Arnold departed New York and moved up Long Island Sound. Arriving off the mouth of the Thames River, he began landing his men early on September 6, 1781, with 800 men coming ashore on the west bank and the remainder on the east. As the British approached, the American commander at New London, Colonel William Ledyard sent out the call for the local militia to gather and checked on the two forts defending the town. The first, Fort Trumbull, was located in New London but was garrisoned by only 23 men.

Not thinking it could be held, he ordered its commander, Captain Adam Shapley, to fire one volley when the British approached and then to spike to the guns and retreat.

This order given, Ledyard moved across the river to Fort Griswold. Located on Groton Heights, the fort was undermanned and possessed a garrison of only 164 men. Approaching New London, Arnold's men met harassing fire from local militia but succeeded in reaching Fort Trumbull. Following his orders, Shapley and his men fired one volley and retreated across the river.

With the town taken, Arnold's men began setting fire to the shipping and warehouses along the waterfront. Though Clinton had told him not to burn the town, the fire soon spread and consumed much of New London. Across the river, Arnold's other column, led by Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Eyre moved north along the east bank with orders to take the high ground overlooking the harbor. Nearing Fort Griswold, Eyre dispatched a delegation to demand its surrender and stated that if forced to storm the fort he would give no quarter. With this knowledge, Ledyard called a council of war to discuss the situation.

Meeting with his officers, Ledyard favored holding the fort as he believe that enough militia would arrive to drive off the attackers. Others argued in favor of quitting the fort in order to fight the British in the open where the laws of war would be effect. As these discussions were taking place, several local militia arrived and took cover in a nearby forest. Feeling that the fort's position was hopeless, many of the militia officers elected to hold their men in the woods. In Fort Griswold, Ledyard decided to refuse Eyre's demand and prepared for British assault.

Across the river, Arnold assessed the situation from New London's Ancient Burial Ground. Fearing that an assault could prove costly and reminiscent of the Battle of Bunker Hill, he sent an aid to Eyre with orders to halt the attack. These orders arrived too late as Eyre was already moving forward. Deploying his men, Eyre advanced towards the fort's walls. Waiting for the British to near, Ledyard ordered his men to open fire. Striking the British with heavy musket fire and artillery fire from the fort's lone cannon, the Americans were able to inflict heavy casualties.

Leading the attack on the south and southwest sides of the fort, Eyre was struck by a musket ball and badly wounded. On the fort's east side, Major William Montgomery led another attack. Scaling the fort's walls, Montgomery was killed. Despite the ferocious defense, the greater British numbers began to tell as they gained footholds along the fort's walls. Finally a number of British troops were able to force open the fort's gates. Seeing the situation as hopeless, Ledyard ordered his men to surrender.

Following this action, American sources state that Ledyard was promptly killed and that a massacre of the fort's surviving defenders ensued. They also state that prior to the surrender, less than ten Americans had been killed. British sources are silent on the subject. With the fort captured, charges were laid to destroy its magazine. The fuse for these was extinguished by an American shortly after the British departed. With the raid complete, Arnold's men returned to their transports and withdrew before the local militias could gather in strength.

Aftermath:

The Battle of Groton Heights cost the Americans 85 killed and 60 wounded. Arnold reported his losses as 51 killed and 142 wounded. In the wake of Arnold's raid, the town of New London was forced to rebuild. While temporarily effective in deterring privateering from the port, it failed to distract Washington, as the American commander had already embarked on the Yorktown Campaign against Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army in Virginia.

Selected Sources

• Battle of Groton Heights
• Fort Griswold