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Murder or Mayhem: Benedict Arnold's New London, Connecticut Raid, 1781
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88 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2000
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May 4, 2025
I read this because I visited Fort Griswold while in Massachusetts for the 250th anniversary of Lexington and Concord. Fort Griswold is a state park, and it's clear that Connecticut has taken great pains to restore the fort and keep it in good shape (especially when compared to other nearby sites; I'm looking at Rhode Island specifically here). I'd highly recommend visiting if anyone is in the area and enjoys the American Revolution.
Not much has been written about this battle (although I am very much looking forward to diving into my copy of The Traitor's Homecoming: Benedict Arnold’s Raid on New London, Connecticut, September 4-13, 1781, which I just received), mainly because it was relatively small, short, and took place a little over a month before Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. And when it is mentioned, it is usually in the context of being a slaughter (of the likes of "Tarleton's Quarter") and showcasing how Arnold was a despicable person.
That isn't a quite fair assessment, as the author quickly shows. Although the commander of the expedition to New London and Fort Griswold, Arnold was leading troops on the other side of the Thames (CT) and not actually at Griswold. He also didn't realize how imposing the fort was and tried to call off the assault on the fort (but didn't do so in time) once he had better visualization of Griswold. So to blame him for what happened in the fort is rather a stretch, since he gave no order to show no mercy to those trying to surrender to the British troops.
The author is quite balanced in his assessment of what happened. While there seems to be little debate that Americans who were trying to surrender were killed by the British soldiers, he attributes this to the heightened emotions of the British (who had just fought their way into the fort, which does happen, and had happened earlier in the war, like in Lexington when Major Pitcairn struggled to get his men back under control) and the severing of the American standard's ropes, which made the flag drop to the ground momentarily (and was mistaken for an American surrender briefly). Colonel Ledyard likely wasn't killed when trying to offer his sword to a British officer, although he likely met his end while trying to seek quarter (in spite of what the memorial plaque at Fort Griswold states to this day).
The book is small (only 88 pages) and reads like what it is: an old thesis paper. The author does interject himself a bit too much into the narrative for my liking, and the account feels dated. It doesn't help that the pictures included of the fort are mostly from around 1904. More modern and clear pictures would have definitely been appreciated. The pictures in the book do not offer the full scope or "feel" of the fort in my opinion, especially since Connecticut has worked on restoring the fort to its former appearance.
It's a good start to learning about Fort Griswold, and the author does feel like he takes a more balanced view than is often taught (when it's mentioned at all). But, as I said, I'm really looking forward to the new (and much longer) book about this same event by Matthew E. Reardon.
Not much has been written about this battle (although I am very much looking forward to diving into my copy of The Traitor's Homecoming: Benedict Arnold’s Raid on New London, Connecticut, September 4-13, 1781, which I just received), mainly because it was relatively small, short, and took place a little over a month before Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. And when it is mentioned, it is usually in the context of being a slaughter (of the likes of "Tarleton's Quarter") and showcasing how Arnold was a despicable person.
That isn't a quite fair assessment, as the author quickly shows. Although the commander of the expedition to New London and Fort Griswold, Arnold was leading troops on the other side of the Thames (CT) and not actually at Griswold. He also didn't realize how imposing the fort was and tried to call off the assault on the fort (but didn't do so in time) once he had better visualization of Griswold. So to blame him for what happened in the fort is rather a stretch, since he gave no order to show no mercy to those trying to surrender to the British troops.
The author is quite balanced in his assessment of what happened. While there seems to be little debate that Americans who were trying to surrender were killed by the British soldiers, he attributes this to the heightened emotions of the British (who had just fought their way into the fort, which does happen, and had happened earlier in the war, like in Lexington when Major Pitcairn struggled to get his men back under control) and the severing of the American standard's ropes, which made the flag drop to the ground momentarily (and was mistaken for an American surrender briefly). Colonel Ledyard likely wasn't killed when trying to offer his sword to a British officer, although he likely met his end while trying to seek quarter (in spite of what the memorial plaque at Fort Griswold states to this day).
The book is small (only 88 pages) and reads like what it is: an old thesis paper. The author does interject himself a bit too much into the narrative for my liking, and the account feels dated. It doesn't help that the pictures included of the fort are mostly from around 1904. More modern and clear pictures would have definitely been appreciated. The pictures in the book do not offer the full scope or "feel" of the fort in my opinion, especially since Connecticut has worked on restoring the fort to its former appearance.
It's a good start to learning about Fort Griswold, and the author does feel like he takes a more balanced view than is often taught (when it's mentioned at all). But, as I said, I'm really looking forward to the new (and much longer) book about this same event by Matthew E. Reardon.
Displaying 1 of 1 review