Battle of Groton Heights - Prelude

Prelude

The forces assembled by the British were divided into two battalions, numbering about 1,700 men. The first, under Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Eyre, was composed of the 40th and 54th Regiments of Foot and a Loyalist provincial regiment, Cortlandt Skinner's New Jersey Volunteers. The second battalion, under Arnold's command, consisted of the 38th Foot and a variety of Loyalist units, including the Loyal American Regiment and Arnold's provincial regiment, known as the American Legion. The expedition also included about 100 Hessian jägers, a small number of artillerymen, three six-pound guns, and a howitzer, all of which were divided between the battalions. These troops were embarked on transports, and sailed on September 4 in the company of a fleet of smaller armed ships led by Commodore John Bazely in the fifth-rate HMS Amphion.

The fleet anchored about 30 miles (48 km) west of New London to make final preparations, and then sailed for New London late on September 5, intending to make a nighttime landing. However, contrary winds prevented the transports from reaching the port until it was already daylight on September 6. In the early hours of that morning Rufus Avery, a colonial officer stationed at Fort Griswold, witnessed the fleet's arrival:

"...about three o'clock in the morning, as soon as I had daylight so as to see the fleet, it appeared a short distance below the lighthouse. The fleet consisted of thirty-two vessels ... I immediately sent word to Captain William Latham, who commanded, and who was not far distant. He very soon came to the fort, and saw the enemy's fleet, and immediately sent a notice to Col. William Ledyard, who was commander of the harbor, Fort Griswold, and Fort Trumbull."

Upon receiving the alert, Ledyard sent a messenger to notify Governor Jonathan Trumbull and local militia leaders of the British arrival, and went to Fort Griswold to arrange its defenses. Fort Griswold's guns were fired twice, a signal of enemy approach. However, one of the British ships fired a third round, changing the meaning of the signal to indicate the arrival of a victorious friend. This signal confusion led to delays in the mustering of militia companies.

At sunrise on September 6, the British landed on both sides of the mouth of the Thames River. The people of the town could do nothing but evacuate, and several ships in the harbor escaped upstream. The 800-man detachment that Arnold led in New London met with no resistance. The defenders of Fort Trumbull, 23 men led by Captain Shapley, following orders left by Colonel Ledyard, fired a single volley, spiked the guns, and boarded boats to cross the river to Fort Griswold. Seven of Shapley's men were wounded, and one of the boats was captured; the detachment Arnold sent to take Fort Trumbull lost, according to Arnold's account, four or five killed or wounded. Arnold's troops continued into the town, where they set about destroying stockpiles of goods and naval stores. Under the orders given, much of the town was supposed to be spared; but unknown to Arnold, at least one of the storehouses burned contained a large quantity of gunpowder. When it ignited, the resulting explosion set fire to the surrounding buildings. The fire was soon uncontrollable and 143 buildings were consumed by flames. Several ships in the harbor were able to escape upriver when the wind changed.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Eyre's force of 800 men that landed on the east side of the Thames River was slowed by tangled woodlands and swamplands. The New Jersey Loyalists landed after the initial wave of regulars, also delayed by the difficulty in moving the artillery through rough conditions, and did not participate in the assault.

George Middleton, a boy of 12 (who in some accounts is incorrectly confused with George Middleton, the commanding officer of an African American militia unit called the Bucks of America) witnessed the quick rallying of Ledyard's militia and the landing of the British regiments, which he reported occurred between 10:30 and 11:00 am:

"The other division of troops landed on the east side of the river ... under the command of Col. Eyre and Major Montgomery. This division ... got to the terminus of the woods ... a little south of east on a direct line from the fort. Here the division halted, and Major Montgomery sent Captain Beckwith with a flag to the fort to demand its surrender. Colonel Ledyard ... sent a flag and met Beckwith ... The bearer of the American flag answered, 'Colonel Ledyard will maintain the fort to the last extremity.'" Eyre sent a second parley flag, threatening to give no quarter if the militia did not surrender. Ledyard's response was as before, even though some of his subordinates argued that they should leave the fort and fight outside it.

General Arnold ordered Eyre to assault the fort, believing the fort would fall easily. However, upon reaching a prominence from which he could see its defenses, Arnold realized that the fort was more complete than anticipated and that taking it would not be easy. Since one of the reasons for taking the fort was to prevent the escape of boats upriver, and many had already passed beyond the fort, Arnold attempted to recall Eyre, but the battle was joined a few minutes before the messenger arrived.