New Britain herald., 1928-09-15
Trip Through Fort GrisWOlI a Delightful Experience

UT u TCdl dpHiC I3boNOIlNoA olS- ry, told with a realism that makes the listener almost see that which is being described, autoists touring along the New London shore roads who have not visited old Fort Gris- wold atop the hill at Groton, just across the river from New London. should not let the season pass with out so doing.
 In 1775, it was in September. oc- cured what some historians termed a massacre at Fort Griswold. Others call it a battle but the grisled old veteran who is the custodian of the fort at present and who himself is something of a historian insofar as Fort Gris%old is concerned, calls 1t mot battle, but the greatest l1i3- take those old soldiers ever made in their lives"
 Briefly, Fort Griswold, on the high hill that overlooks the city of New London and it's harbor, was defended by band of American patriots on September 6, 1Ts5, when the British under the leadership of the traitor, Benedict Arnold, cap- tured Nev London. The troops in Fort Trunlbull, in New London har- Tor, surrendered and marched but with colors flying. Watching all this from Fort Griswold, the American commander then concluded that the British could not cross the Thames ri,.n x,,ho hndpy n 1lr}f- ish approached the fort from the rear and demanded its surrender he refused. The British deployed around the fort and Major Mont gomery, a British staff officer. headed accommodating party. AS the major peered over the southern narapet negro soldier, armed with a French bayonet on long pole. killed him. This report. taken back to the British, caused the command CT, by then reinforced by other Brit ishers from New London, to declare that this would be an unconditional surrender. The fort was stormed. The dead and wounded numbered hundreds and the American com- mander, when he surrendered his sword to his British victor. was stabbed to death with his own wea- pon in the hands of the latter. Talk ing the wounded in wagons a>l carts. the British prepared to return to New London when reports came in that Washington's advance guard had arrived. The British embarked on their boats. the carloads of wounded were allowed to dash un- checked down the steep hill, ada ing to the slaughter, and slow time fuse was attached to the great powder magazine. One of Washing tons advance guards, a soldier nam- ed Perkins. entered the fort and box of water from the old we'll still intact in the fort and extinguished the fuse and saved the fort from total destruction.
 Such was the story of the battle or massacre of Fort Trumbull. as told visitors by the custodian. a civ il war veteran and veteran of three Indian campaigns. Seventy six years old, but hale and hearty, and straight as an arrow. this old sol- dier delights in telling visitors of the stirring battle and during the IS years that has been at the fort he himself has made some remark able discoveries. Chief among these was the finding of three graves of soldiers massacred in the historic battle. He had been custodian for ten years before he made this dis covery. In the northeast corner of the old fort was pile of stones and slabs and one day, while doing bit of excavating. he noticed chis- eled on three stones. definite ini- tials. Checking these with names of the known defenders he found the names and investigation showed that the bodies of these old fight CTS had been buried where they fell, presumably by relatives who had cared for the bodies and chiseled their initials on the stone.
 At present inside the fort the custodian points out the old gate way with some of the original stones in it. The sight of the old cook house has been preserved as has that of the interior blockhouse. The old we'll remains and a marker shows where the American com-