Fort Trumbull

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Fort Trumbull (1777-1910) - First built as a First System coastal fort established in 1777 at New London, New London County, Connecticut. Named after then Govenor Jonathan Trumbull. Turned over to the Treasury Department in 1910.

Fort Trumbull Casemates and Enclosed Spiral Staircase.
Fort Trumbull Land Side Ravelin.
Fort Trumbull Exterior.

Revolutionary War

Fort Trumbull by Seth Eastman.

The First System fort was built between 1775 and 1777 as an earth and stone fortification completely exposed from the land side. Benedict Arnold and a British fleet easily captured Fort Trumbull in September 1781 during the Revolutionary War.

War of 1812

Fort Trumbull 2nd System Blockhouse.
Fort Trumbull 1830s Barracks.

In 1812 the old First System fort was leveled and replaced with a much stronger Second System fortification with land side protection. This new fort was able to keep the British Fleet offshore for the remainder of the War of 1812. This fort deteriorated after the war and was torn down in 1839 to make way for a new Third System fort. The new Third System fortification was built between 1839 and 1852 as a five-sided, four-bastion coastal defense fort. The fort was built under the supervision of Army engineer George W. Cullum, (Cullum 709), who later served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy.

U.S. Civil War

Fort Trumbull South Battery.
Fort Trumbull 1860s Casemate Gun and Crew.

During the U.S. Civil War Fort Trumbull served as a recruiting and training depot and as headquarters for the 14th U.S. Infantry.

Endicott Period

Fort Trumbull was designated as a subpost of Fort H.G. Wright on 31 Mar 1906 and later served as the headquarters of the Long Island Sound Endicott Period coastal defenses until it was turned over to the Treasury Department on 15 Oct 1910. The Treasury Department used the post first as an academy for their Revenue Cutter Service and then as the Coast Guard Academy (1915-1932).

World War II

Fort Trumbull 1 Jun 1924

Fort Trumbull became the Merchant Marine Officers Training School (1939–1946).

After the war Fort Trumbull became the site of the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory (1950 to 1990). The post has been operated as a state park since 2000.

Fort Trumbull Partial Commanders List (edit list)
Assumed Relieved Rank Name Cullum Notes
1776-12-20 1778-02-01 Capt Saltonstall, Nathaniel N/A
1781-09-06 Capt Shapley, Adam N/A Militia
1799 Capt Wadsworth, Decius N/A
1802 Capt Stille, James N/A
1812-07-17 1815-06-15 Col Kingsbury, Jacob N/A
1815 1816 Capt Bennett, Thomas 21
1817-12-01 1822-12-01 Capt McDowell, Andrew N/A
1822-12-02 1823-11-19 unk Unknown, N/A
1824-10-10 2nd Lt Green, George Sears 327 CW Maj Gen
1825-11-09 1826-11 Maj Walbach, John de Barth N/A bvt Ltc
1828-01-12 1828-11 Ltc Lindsay, William N/A bvt Col
1829-11+ 1833 Capt Thurston, Charles M. 105
1835-11 1836-05-23 Maj Fanning, Alexander C.W. 86 bvt Ltc
1842 1846 Capt Merchant, Charles S. 92
1848 1849 Capt Sherman, Thomas W. 859 bvt Maj
1848
1850
1853
1849
1852
1853
Capt Taylor, George 913 Drowned on Steamer San Francisco 24 Dec 1853
1861-05 1861-08 Ltc Reynolds, John F. 1084
1863 1864 Col Gates, William 11 Retired
1865-01-13 1865-10-23 Maj Gibson, Augustus A. 1008
1865-10-01 1866-10 Capt Duryea, Richard C. 1598 bvt Ltc
1866-11-01 1870-02-15 Maj Brannon, John M. 1081 bvt Maj Gen
1870-02-18 1875-12-01 Capt Guenther, Francis L. 1833 bvt Ltc
1870-09-05 1873-04-15 Capt Kensel, Georg A. 1769 bvt Ltc
1873-01-09 1873-06-13 Maj Andrews, George P. 1245
1873-05-18 1875-11-26 Ltc Dent, Frederick T. 1199
1874-04-24 1875-12 Capt Kensel, Georg A. 1769 bvt Ltc
1872-12-19 1876-10-23 Maj Brannon, John M. 1081 bvt Maj Gen
1875-12-29 1876-10 Capt Langdon, Loomis L. 1650 bvt Ltc
1876-12-19 1880-12-08 Ltc Brannon, John M. 1081 bvt Maj Gen
1882-02-27 1882-11-29 Maj Piper, Alexander 1498 bvt Ltc
1882-12-01 1885-07-01 Capt Pennington, Alexander C.M. 1864 bvt Col
1885-07-07 1889-01-09 Ltc Mendenhall, John 1513 bvt Col
1889-06-04 1891-09-01 Maj Guenther, Francis L. 1833 bvt Ltc
1892-04-28 1896-10-05 Capt
Maj
Calef, John H. 1988
1896-10-02 1898-11-24 Capt Crawford, Medorem 2202
1902-06 1905-08 Ltc
Col
Davis, John M.K. 2172
1909-08-31 1910-07 Capt Miller, Lawrence Sprague 3757
Dates are formatted in yyyy-mm-dd to sort correctly.
The Cullum Number is the graduation order from the United States Military Academy by year and class rank and links to a page for the officer on the website version of the Cullum Register. Listings without a Cullum Number indicate that the person was not a graduate of the United States Military Academy.

Current Status

Fort Trumbull Park Plan.


Fort Trumbull Visitor's Center in the 1830s Officer Quarters.

Must See! Part of Fort Trumbull State Park, New London, New London County, Connecticut. Excellent visitor's center built in the 1830s Officer's quarters.


Location: Fort Trumbull State Park, New London, New London County, Connecticut.

Maps & Images

Lat: 41.3437094 Long: -72.0931317

See Also:

Sources:

Links:

Visited: 10 Jun 2016


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