Philosophia
December 22nd, 2006, 02:26 AM
Fort Griswold
Tucked away in the small New England town of Groton is the site of one of the most unfathomable massacres in United States history, Fort Griswold. Fort Griswold sat in the Groton Heights and commanded the harbor, with its projecting fortifications and batteries of cannons which overlooked the Thames River in 1781.
As it is today, housing the largest submarine facility in the United States, the towns of Groton and New London were the homeports of most of the armed ships used during the Revolutionary War. These ships were thorns in the British sides throughout the war and they decided to put forth a barbaric plan to eliminate this enemy.
Late in the summer of 1781 the British put a plan in motion to divert the attention General Washington who was on the move to the south, so they decided to attack their thorn, New London harbor. Under the command of Benedict Arnold, the Norwich Connecticut native, who defected earlier in the year, they launched an attack that they felt would turn the tide in the war.
On September 6, 1781, Arnold’s troops landed on both the New London and Groton shores, leading a calculated attack that would ravage the settlers in both towns. Most inhabitants ran from the fury, with the roughly 800 British soldiers trapping the unfortunate and burning everything in its path.
Even the thick brush and swamplands that protected the fort’s base could not prevent the eventual attack on the fort. Led by Colonel William Ledyard, the group of roughly 150 colonial militia and locals put a valiant fight but in the end were no match for the highly trained British regulars. Under Ledyard, the under-manned patriots killed and wounded many of the Redcoats with a barrage of musket and cannon fire. In fact, British leaders Colonel Eyre or Major Montgomery were either badly wounded or killed in the attack.
Note: there are two different accounts of this battle, one British and one American. The main difference between the accounts concern’s Colonel Ledyard and the massacre. The American version holds that after Ledyard gave up his sword in surrender he was immediately killed with it and that a massacre ensued. Before the "massacre" it is claimed that less than ten Americans had been killed, but when it was over, more than eighty of the garrison lay dead and mutilated and more than half of the remainder were severely wounded. In the British account there is no mention of the massacre or the manner of Ledyard’s death.
Although the entire battle lasted only 40 minutes, its ramifications can still be felt today.
From here (http://www.paranormalnews.com/article.asp?ArticleID=1147).
Has anybody heard of this?
Tucked away in the small New England town of Groton is the site of one of the most unfathomable massacres in United States history, Fort Griswold. Fort Griswold sat in the Groton Heights and commanded the harbor, with its projecting fortifications and batteries of cannons which overlooked the Thames River in 1781.
As it is today, housing the largest submarine facility in the United States, the towns of Groton and New London were the homeports of most of the armed ships used during the Revolutionary War. These ships were thorns in the British sides throughout the war and they decided to put forth a barbaric plan to eliminate this enemy.
Late in the summer of 1781 the British put a plan in motion to divert the attention General Washington who was on the move to the south, so they decided to attack their thorn, New London harbor. Under the command of Benedict Arnold, the Norwich Connecticut native, who defected earlier in the year, they launched an attack that they felt would turn the tide in the war.
On September 6, 1781, Arnold’s troops landed on both the New London and Groton shores, leading a calculated attack that would ravage the settlers in both towns. Most inhabitants ran from the fury, with the roughly 800 British soldiers trapping the unfortunate and burning everything in its path.
Even the thick brush and swamplands that protected the fort’s base could not prevent the eventual attack on the fort. Led by Colonel William Ledyard, the group of roughly 150 colonial militia and locals put a valiant fight but in the end were no match for the highly trained British regulars. Under Ledyard, the under-manned patriots killed and wounded many of the Redcoats with a barrage of musket and cannon fire. In fact, British leaders Colonel Eyre or Major Montgomery were either badly wounded or killed in the attack.
Note: there are two different accounts of this battle, one British and one American. The main difference between the accounts concern’s Colonel Ledyard and the massacre. The American version holds that after Ledyard gave up his sword in surrender he was immediately killed with it and that a massacre ensued. Before the "massacre" it is claimed that less than ten Americans had been killed, but when it was over, more than eighty of the garrison lay dead and mutilated and more than half of the remainder were severely wounded. In the British account there is no mention of the massacre or the manner of Ledyard’s death.
Although the entire battle lasted only 40 minutes, its ramifications can still be felt today.
From here (http://www.paranormalnews.com/article.asp?ArticleID=1147).
Has anybody heard of this?