Thames River Crossing (Gold Star Memorial Bridge Vicinity)

The Thames River separates Groton from New London and was the geographic dividing line between the two simultaneous attacks of September 6, 1781. From the Groton bank, Benedict Arnold directed the burning of New London while Lt. Col. Edmund Eyre's force assaulted Fort Griswold. The river's width — about a quarter mile — meant the two battles were audible to each other but beyond mutual support. The modern bridge vicinity preserves this critical strategic geography.