Alamo of the Revolution: Benedict Arnold and the Massacre at Fort Griswold

But Arnold miscalculated and misapprehended the strength of the fort and its defenders. That misperception would have grievous consequences for the fort’s British attackers and their outnumbered American defenders. The defenders numbered around 161, made up of some forty members of the regular garrison and some volunteers from the privateers’ crews, including a member of the Pequot tribe. The bulk of the defenders were citizen volunteers from Groton and nearby towns. Virtually all males of local families, aged anywhere from twelve to seventy, defended the fort. In the end, the attackers suffered close to two hundred casualties. The patriots faced catastrophic losses amounting more than 80 percent with half the defenders slain outright.

This is a story of that long forgotten stubborn defense by American patriots and the unusual and unforeseen circumstances that turned the assault into a bloodbath—the most sanguinary battle ever witnessed on the soil of Connecticut.