Fort Trumbull

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This watercolor painting, Fort Trumbull as Rebuilt in 1813, depicts a New London fort that has changed significantly over time. The first defensive works on this site were established during the Revolutionary War and named for then-governor John Trumbull. During the War of 1812 it was principally manned by a contingent of regular US artillerymen. In June 1813, Governor John Cotton Smith described Fort Trumbull as a “mere water battery, mounting 22 guns, manned by about seventy raw recruits commanded by an officer of spirit no doubt but without experience; its magazine liable to be blown up by the first shell that shall enter the garrison.” Today, New London visitors may tour the site of Fort Trumbull, now home to an imposing stone fort constructed from 1839 to 1852. (New London Maritime Society, Howard Collection)