Fort Griswold Tour via pictures

The following links lead to pictures of the sights at Fort Griswold
Battlefield State Park. All the photos are in .jpg format. The size
of the pictures are included and range from 14 KB to 42 KB.

Main sign at Fort Griswold (34 KB)

This sign is at the corner of Monument Street & Park Avenue next to the memorial gate.

The Groton Battle Monument and Museum (15 KB)

This granite monument was dedicated in 1830 to the men who had defended Fort Griswold. In the centennial year, 1881, the top was enclosed and the monument was increased to a height of 134 feet. There are 166 steps to the top with no elevator. The view from the top of the monument is breathtaking. On the ground level inside the monument the defenders' names are caved in stone. Inscribed on a plaque above the entrance to the monument:

This monument
was erected under the patronage of the state of
Connecticut A.D. 1830 and in the 55th year
of the independance of the U.S.A.
IN MEMORY OF THE BRAVE PATRIOTS
who fell in the massacre at Fort Griswold
near this spot on the 6th of Sept. A.D.
1781 when the British under the command
of THE TRAITOR BENEDICT ARNOLD
burnt the towns of New London
and Groton and spread desolation and woe
throughout this region.
Judges 5:18

The museum (on the right of the monument) contains artifacts from the Revolutionary War. There is a model of the Fort as it was at the time of the battle. The museum also contains other artifacts for other periods of the area's history.

Fort Griswold (36 KB)

View of the Revolutionary War fort from atop the battle monument.

 

Water Battery (32 KB)

View of the 19th Century Water Battery. At the lower left is the Northwest Bastion of the Revolutionary Fort. The body of water is the Thames River. Across the river from the water battery is the site of Fort Trumbull andthe city of New London. The picture was taken from atop the battle monument.

 

West view from battle monument (32 KB)

Memorial gate and corner of Monument Street and Park Avenue.

 

North view from battle monument (34 KB)

The building in the picture is the Bill Memorial Library.

 

East view from battle monument (38 KB)

The city of Groton is in the foreground. The town on Groton is in the background. The hill on the horizon is Fort Hill.

 

Fort Griswold Battle Monument & Museum (15 KB)

A closer view of the museum.

 

Groton's Civil War Monument (15 KB)

Inscriptions on the civil war monument:

west face: Drury's Bluff
north face: Gettysburg
east face: Port Hudson
south face: Fredericksburg

ERECTED BY
ROBERT A. GRAY
AND DEDICATED TO
THE MEMORY OF
HIS BRAVE COMRADES
WHO OFFERED THEIR LIVES
FOR THE COUNTRY
IN THE WAR OF
1861-1865

 

Groton's Civil War Monument (14 KB)

Another picture of the civil war monument with the Groton Heights Elementary School in the background.

 

Northeast Gate (41 KB)

This gate is at the corner of Park Avenue and Smith Street. The gate is closed at all times. The field in view beyond the gate (which is part of the park) is on the east side of the Revolutionary War Fort Griswold.

 

City of Groton Veteran's Memorial (13 KB)

The inscription on the memorial says:

The City of Groton,
successor to
the borough of
Groton, has not
forgotten the
courage, valor
and sacrifices
of its veterans
of all wars

Main park sign (31 KB)

Me in uniform and the sign next to the memorial gate.

 

Memorial gate (34 KB)

This is the entrance to Fort Griswold and the water battery. On the left pillar is a bronze plaque that lists all the defenders' names. At the top of the plaque is an image of Col. Ledyard surrendering. Underneath the picture are the words, "British officer - 'Who commands this Fort?' Ledyard - 'I did sir, but you do now'". Just beyond the gate is Fort Griswold's Northwest bastion. The photo tour of the Revolutionary War (original) Fort Griswold starts here.

 

West Wall & Dry moat (30 KB)

This is the actual surviving west wall of the Fort where the main battery of cannons was located. The ditch (dry moat) made it more difficult for attackers to enter the fort.

 

North Wall & Dry moat (36 KB)

This is the actual surviving north wall of the Fort. On the left side is the entrance to Fort Griswold itself (once protected by wooden gates). On the right side is part of the Northwest Bastion.

 

Groton Battle Monument (13 KB)

This view of the monument was taken from the Fort's North wall.

 

Groton Battle Monument & Fort entrance (gate site) (18 KB)

In the foreground is the enterance to Fort Griswold. The green earthen mound beyond the enterance is the Fort's Ravelin. In the background is the Groton Battle Monument

 

Groton Battle Monument & Ledyard's marker (17 KB)

In the foreground is the iron fence that surrounds the stone marker that sits on the site where Col. William Ledyard was killed. Beyond the iron fence is the Fort's North wall (interior). In the background is the Groton Battle Monument.

 

Ledyard's marker of where he was killed (41 KB)

The inscription on the marker is:

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

 

Groton Battle Monument & Museum (29 KB)

This was taken from the moat on the north side. Behind the Monument is the Bill Memorial Library. Behind the Museum is the Groton Heights Elementary School.

 

Northeast Corner (exterior) (24 KB)

This is the northeast corner of the fort.

 

South wall of Fort (interior) (27 KB)

The three objects on and in the south wall are as follows, left to right: Bronze plaque on boulder marking the site where British Major Montgomery (second in command of the British force on the Groton side) died, sally-port (tunnel in the wall) entrance leading to outside to the covered way, and the Fort's powder magazine.

 

Closeup of British Major Montgomery's marker of where he was killed (25KB)

The soldier coming over the wall is Montgomery. The defender that is aiming a spear at Montgomery in Jordan Freeman, a negro. The inscription on the marker is:

THE DEATH OF,
MAJOR WILLIAM MONTGOMERY
WHILE LEADING THE BRITISH
ATTACK ON THE FORT AT
THIS POINT
SEPT. 6TH,
1781

 

Southeast Corner (exterior) (29 KB)

This view has (from left to right) the Southwest bastion & flagpole, south wall, southeast corner of the fort, and part of the east wall.

 

South wall (exterior) (21 KB)

The south wall & southwest bastion. The doorway in the side of the wall is the other opening to the sally-port.

 

South wall (exterior) (26 KB)

This view is the exterior of the Fort's south wall. On the left side is the south west bastion with the flagpole of the Fort. The door shaped hole on the right center of the picture is the other end of the sally-port. On the very right is the top of the Groton Battle Monument. The covered way (rifle pit) also begins here with a park sign stating:

COVERED WAY

A pathway between the fort
and the lower river battery where
soldiers using it were under
cover from enemy gunfire

The covered way (rifle pit) (37 KB)

A close up of the covered way leading downhill. In the upper left of the water battery gun emplacements. Beyond the water battery is the Thames River and downtown New London.

 

19th Century water battery (33 KB)

The sites from this point on are of objects built after the Revolutionary War in the defense of New London Harbor. In the bottom foreground is the covered way (rifle pit) leading to the water battery. Beyond the covered way are the buildings of the 19th Century river battery. Beyond the 2 buildings are the gun mounts for the battery. Beyond the gun mounts is the Thames River (New London harbor) that the fort was meant to defend. On the other side of the river is the City of New London, CT. In the upper left corner of the picture (in New London across the water) is the site of Fort Trumbull. The current large concrete structure next to the water is the 19th century Fort Trumbull. The Revolutionary War Fort Trumbull is all but gone except for its blockhouse. The Fort Trumbull site is restricted to visitors, but this may change in the next few years.

 

Southwest Bastion (exterior) (32 KB)

Close up of the exterior of the Fort's southwest bastion (western side).

 

Southwest Bastion (exterior) (32 KB)

Another view of the exterior of the Fort's southwest bastion (western side). In the lower right foreground is the covered way (rifle pit) that leads from the Fort to the water battery.

 

Southwest Bastion (exterior) (30 KB)

Another view of the exterior of the Fort's southwest bastion (western side) & the covered way (rifle pit) that leads from the Fort to the water battery.

 

Shot Furnace (24 KB)

This is the river battery's shot furnace. In the background are the gun mounts for the river battery that face south. The park sign says:

SHOT FURNACE

Built in 1843 to heat
cannonballs to set
wooden vessels aflame
when struck

Shot Furnace (35 KB)

This is another view of the river battery's shot furnace.

 

Powder Magazine (30 KB)

This is the river battery's powder magazine. In the background are the gun mounts for the river battery. The park sign says:

POWDER MAGAZINE

Built in 1843 for the
storage of gun powder

Powder Magazine (30KB)

This is another shot (different, closer) of the river battery's powder magazine.

 

Groton Heights (western side) (26 KB)

This shot was taken on the river battery gun mounts. At the top is (Revolutionary War) Fort Griswold's west wall and southwest bastion with the Fort's flagpole. In the foreground is the powder magazine for the 19th century water battery. The person to the left of the powder magazine is me in my revolutionary war clothes.

 

Groton Heights (western side) (26 KB)

This shot was taken on the river battery gun mounts. At the top is (Revolutionary War) Fort Griswold's west wall and southwest bastion with the Fort's flagpole. In the foreground is the powder magazine for the 19th century water battery. The person to the left of the powder magazine is me in my revolutionary war clothes.

 

West Wall (exterior) (21 KB)

This was taken from the water battery. From left to right: Northwest Bastion, west wall, south west bastion.

 

West Wall (exterior) (22 KB)

Another photo of the west wall. taken from the water battery. From left to right: Northwest Bastion, west wall, south west bastion.

 

Battle Monument (24 KB)

This was taken from the lower field. From left to right: the memorial gate, the battle monument and the Fort's Northwest bastion.

 

Ebenezer Avery House (40 KB)

18th century house of defender Lieutenant Ebenezer Avery. The house was a part of the Groton village at the river edge (At the corner of Thames Street & Latham Street). It was later moved to the park.

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