Murder or Mayhem? Benedict Arnold’s New London, Connecticut Raid, 1781 by Walter Powell

On September 6, 1781, “Traitor” Benedict Arnold led a force of British and Loyalist troops to attack New London Harbor, destroying valuable shipping and burning much of the town. While New London fell easily, the staunch defenders of nearby Fort Griswold put up a valiant struggle against five-to-one odds. At the point of surrender, the fort’s commander, Colonel William Ledyard, was killed, along with more thank half the garrison. Charges of British atrocity followed. Using previously unpublished American and British eyewitness accounts,