On a quiet September night in New London, hundreds gathered wearing costumes, brandishing pitchforks, and chanting “death to the traitor!” The target of their calls was a two-faced effigy of Benedict Arnold, the former hero of the Continental army who defected to the British. On September 6th, 1781 his forces burned the city of New London to the ground. Tonight, the crowd chanted, we will burn him to the ground.
These bloodthirsty cries are all part of the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival, which is run annually by OpSail Connecticut Inc. based on a bigger event called “Operation Sails,” which is hosted to foster goodwill between nations and celebrate maritime heritage. As a seaport city, New London has a rich history of sea-faring activities, with interesting tidbits written on informational plaques and signs all around downtown.
Moored to the city docks, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Barque Eagle immediately draws the attention of anyone arriving at the festival. With a rig height of nearly 150 feet, the aptly named “America’s Tall Ship” is visually stunning. On board, the Coast Guard demonstrated how the pulley systems work and gave information on the history of the ship (it was originally commissioned in Nazi Germany). Just down the river from the Coast Guard academy, it’s clear to see the military importance of a port city.
Before that, however, the waters were a source of food for the native Pequot people. After the arrival of European colonizers and the trans-atlantic slave trade, New London also became a major part of the middle passage. By 1774, New London county had the largest population of enslaved people of any New England county. These atrocities aren’t on full display at the family-friendly festival, but it is well laid out on plaques across the docks.
Also well documented in text is the historical importance of the whaling industry. New London was, at one point, the second largest whaling port in the whole world, bringing great prosperity to the city. Arriving at the city dock, attendees were immediately greeted by an inflatable whale sitting in the plaza. Despite the town’s history of whaling, this is not to celebrate the killing of whales, instead it’s promoting their protection. Representatives from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary set up shop at the festival to give out information on preservation and the sanctuary itself, which is located off the coast of Massachusetts. The inflatable, with fake organs on its inside, was custom built based on a humpback whale named Salt.
Along the city docks, representatives from museums, banks, and various food trucks joined to support the festivities. During the festival, the city is a center for history, curiosity, and entertainment. It is New London’s proximity to the water that brought it fame and fortune and made it into the city it is today. Its economic importance is also what made it a strategic target for the British during the American Revolutionary War.
To any American Revolution buffs, the name Benedict Arnold is synonymous with the word “traitor,” but what some might not know is that he has a specific connection to New London. Benedict Arnold grew up mere miles north from where the Coast Guard’s Eagle sits on the water and where people sang along to sea chanteys at the festival. Arnold was considered by many to be a hero in the fight against the British and was no doubt a source of pride for the area where he came from. When he turned into a commander for the British, it dishonored the region.
Coming up on the street as the sky turns dark, a crowd slowly gathered. Soon, hundreds of costumed people were standing, ready to march. Drummers from the Colchester Continentals began to beat their drums. The sound of firing muskets ricocheted through the streets. The two-faced Benedict Arnold, was pulled on a wagon and accompanied by a devil wearing stilts, just as it was over 240 years ago, when the first march of the traitor took place. When the parade reached the docks, the crowd stopped and the mayor stepped up to say a few words. First, there was a moment of silence for all of the lives that were lost in the fight for independence. But then as he retold the story of how Benedict Arnold returned home and burnt nearly every building to the ground, he reminded the crowd that “New London never forgets!” The effigy was doused in lighter fluid, lit from a tiki torch, and the traitor was up in flames and the crowd cheered.
