At Fort Griswold on Sept. 6th 1781, during a British attack, a British officer asked who commanded the fort, and Colonel William Ledyard answered, “I did sir, but you do now,” after which he was killed. The defenders were recorded by fate: those killed included Lieut. Col. William Ledyard and many officers and men; those wounded and paroled included Lieut. Parke Avery, Jr., Ensign Ebenezer Avery, Capt. William Latham, Capt. Edward Latham, Capt. Solomon Perkins, Lieut. Obadiah Perkins, Lieut. William Starr, Ensign Jos. Woodmantee, Tom Wansu, identified as a Pequot Indian, and many others; prisoners taken away included Serg. Rufus Avery, Caleb Avery, Peter Avery, Samuel Abraham, Joshua Baker, Walter Buddington, Reuben Bushnell, Charles Chester, Ebenezer Ledyard, William Latham, Lieut. Jabez Stow, Corp. Josiah Smith, and others; those who escaped included Benjamin Bill, Joshua Bill, Benajah Holdridge, Samuel W. Jaques, Amos Lester, Cary Leeds, Henry Mason, Japheth Mason, James Morgan, Thomas Mallison, Joseph Moxley, Jr., Elisha Morgan, and John Prentis; and one defender, William Lathan, twelve years of age, was released.

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

New London, Connecticut · USA