Matross Ziba Woodworth Remembers the Aftermath of the Battle

After the guns fell silent at Fort Griswold in the early afternoon of September 6, 1781, over 125 men lay dead, while another 190 lay wounded in and around the fort. The sights, smells and sounds were ghastly, horrendous and left an impression on all those present.

Today, on this the 242nd Anniversary of the battle, ponder these words left by Ziba Woodworth, one of the wounded Americans, as he recalled the noises around the fort following the battle. "Nothing but the keenest anguish & the infinite Despare Reign[ed] throughout the gloomy Coast and no other music to Salute the Ear but hideous yells of Devils & Shrieks of Damned ghosts.”

Woodworth's memoirs were one of my biggest finds which I used throughout my upcoming book, The Traitor's Homecoming : Benedict Arnold's Raid on New London, Connecticut, September 4-13, 1781. Coming May 2024.