Col. William Ledyard - Fort Griswold - Groton, CT
N 41° 21.249 W 072° 04.785
18T E 744291 N 4582187
This historical marker lies inside the ramparts of Fort Griswold, now part of Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which was the center of the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781.
Waymark Code: WMHXZX
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 08/25/2013
Views: 5
"This is the historic site where, on September 6, 1781, British Forces, commanded by the infamous Benedict Arnold, captured the Fort and massacred 88 of the 165 defenders stationed there. The Ebenezer Avery House which sheltered the wounded after the battle has been restored on the grounds. A Revolutionary War museum also depicts the era. Fort Griswold was designated as a state park in 1953." SOURCE
"Fort Griswold is a former American military base in Groton, Connecticut. Named after then Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold, the fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. In tandem with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the harbor, Griswold served to defend the port of New London, a supply center for the new Continental Army and a friendly port for Connecticut-sanctioned privateers who preyed on British ships.
The State of Connecticut now owns and operates the site as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. The site includes the restored earthwork battery, cannons, and a later period shot furnace and powder magazine. The grounds include several monuments and memorials to state residents who fought in different wars:
The Groton Monument, a granite monument dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights. Built between 1826 and 1830, the Monument stands 135 feet (41 m) tall with 166 steps.
The adjacent Monument House Museum which features exhibits about the Revolutionary War and is operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Ebenezer Avery House, which sheltered the wounded after the battle, is a Revolutionary-period historic house museum that is open for tours on summer weekends." WIKIPEDIA
The granite marker for Col. Ledyard is surrounded by a short fence, similar to one you might find at a family plot in a cemetery. The marker reads:
ON THIS SPOT
COL. WILLIAM LEDYARD
FELL BY HIS OWN SWORD IN THE HANDS
OF A BRITISH OFFICER TO WHOM HE HAD
SURRENDERED IN THE MASSACRE OF
FORT GRISWOLD, SEPT. 6, 1781.
Additional information can be found on the history of the Battle of Groton Heights.