were in danger of being blown up." Rufus Avery believed that the attack was called off due to the chance that further musket fire might set off the fort's powder magazine. British descriptions of the battle ascribe several possible reasons for their behavior. During the battle, the fort's flag was allegedly shot down at one point, although it was quickly re-raised. Many British soldiers interpreted this as striking the colors, that is, making a sign of surrender. Then, the British suffered significant casualties when they approached the fort openly believing the Americans would not shoot. Consequently, they didn't trust Ledyard's legitimate surrender, and they vented their anger over the death and wounding of their commanding officers. Other accounts say that Americans in one part of the fort were unaware that Ledyard had surrendered, and continued to fight. Therefore, the British soldiers also continued fighting, mistrusting those who attempted to surrender. Early British historians generally did not report much beyond Arnold's report of the expedition, which was unexceptional. William Gordon, however, reported in his 1788 history of the war that the "Americans had not more than a half dozen killed" before the fort was stormed, and that "a severe execution took place after resistance ceased." An Italian historian wrote in 1809, "The assailants massacred as well those who surrendered as those who resisted." There were two black men and one American Indian known to be among the defenders of Fort Griswold. The black men were Jordan Freeman and Lambert Latham, who both acted heroically in the battle and were killed in action. Tom Wansuc was a Pequot Indian who was stabbed in the neck with a bayonet. Aftermath The casualties and losses at Fort Griswold marked one of the largest tragedies in the history of Groton and Connecticut, and was one of the last British victories in North America before the end of the war. Damage to New London was substantial; one estimate placed the value destroyed at nearly $500,000. The battle left nearly 100 families homeless and destroyed nine public buildings and much of the town's waterfront. The state identified losses in 1792 that totaled more than £61,000, or $200,000 Continental dollars. Some who lost homes or property were awarded land in the Western Reserve. The fighting at Fort Griswold left dozens of Americans dead. The Groton Gazette reported that casualties numbered about 150. Some survivors escaped, such as George