Fort Trumbull in New London in Southeastern Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
South Battery
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 9, 2011
1. South Battery Marker
The army built this gun line, known as the South Battery, around 1840, while the present Fort Trumbull was under construction. By 1879, this battery contained eight cannon of two types, six Rodmans and two Parrotts. A low protective wall made of granite and earth, called a parapet, shielded the gun crews from enemy fire.
In 1879, four smaller siege guns stood on additional platforms in front of this gun line, on the edge of a cove that is now largely filled in. By 1892 they had been removed, and seven mortars had been installed in a line near the present parking lot. While the Rodmans and Parrotts fired cannonballs in a horizontal direction, aimed at the side of a ship, the mortars fired cannonballs up in a steep arc to fall on a ship from above. A magazine, a chamber for storing ammunition, was located on the west side of the line of mortars.
The South Battery, which was the gun position closest to Long Island Sound, held the largest concentration of heavy guns installed at Fort Trumbull in the 1890s.
Erected by Fort Trumbull State Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1840.
Location. 41° 20.583′ N, 72° 5.636′ W. Marker is in New London
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline and in the Thames River Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New London County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Interiors (within shouting distance of this marker); American Revolution (within shouting distance of this marker); War of 1812 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Third System (within shouting distance of this marker); Site Orientation (within shouting distance of this marker); Civil War (within shouting distance of this marker); Coast Guard (within shouting distance of this marker); Post Civil War to 1910 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New London.
More about this marker. A photo of a Rodman gun on the right side of the marker has a caption of “The two Rodman guns installed here at the South Battery are the same type that stood here in the late nineteenth century, but it is not known if they are actually the same cannon. Originally made with gun barrels measuring ten inches in diameter, they were converted to rifled capability. Rifling is a system of spiral grooves inside a gun barrel that cause a projectile to spin as it shoots out. First used during
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 9, 2011
2. South Battery Marker
The guns are named for Thomas Rodman, who developed a new method for casting cannon, in the 1850s. Rodmans methods reduced the possibility of cracks forming when the iron cooled. Cracks could cause a gun to burst when fired.”
Also see . . . History of Fort Trumbull. Friends of Fort Trumbull website. (Submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 9, 2011
3. Marker at Fort Trumbull
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 9, 2011
4. South Battery Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, October 9, 2011
5. Rodman Guns at the South Battery
Guns such as the these were mounted at the South Battery more than one hundred years ago.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 582 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
