The Revolutionary War and the Battle of Minisink

The only major battle fought in Sullivan County during the Revolutionary War was the Battle of Minisink. It was where a Mohawk Chief Thayendeneges who was also known by the name of Joseph Brant, led 60 Indians and 27 Loyalists down the Delaware heading toward the western settlements, searching for food and supplies for his hungry followers. Consequently, at around the same time in 1779 that General George Washington sent a strong show of power into western New York to protect settlements on the Rivers of Susquehanna, Mohawk, and Delaware from Indian attacks such as these.

On July 20, 1779 Brant attacked the unprotected Minisink settlement located near what is now Port Jervis. In retaliation two commanders, Col. John Hathorn of Warwick and Lt. Col. Benjamin Tusten, banded together and combined their troops to form a large command. Regardless of the two Colonels concerns, some troops apparently thought the pursuit was not advisable and went home while even other parts of the troops seem to have been either delayed or separated.

The two commands met near the mouth of the Lackawaxen on the Delaware on July 22. Lt. Col. Tusten found out that Brant and his men were crossing the river at Minisink Ford with stolen cattle, goods/supplies, and prisoners. His intent was to surprise the Indians but one of Tusten's men accidentally fired a shot that gave Brant warning which in return allowed Brant the chance to defend himself. Using bush warfare, Brant was able to surround Tusten and begin a terrible 4-hour battle ending when Brant's men broke through and defeated Tusten's forces that were running out of ammunition and suffering from thirst. Dr. Benjamin Tusten and forty-four of his militiamen were killed during battle.

The town of Goshen, NY itself was completely laid wasted and some say that more that 33 women were left as widows on that day. It is also believed that a total of 150 men were killed, with a separate company of 50 men that had been completely cut off, slaughtered and scalped. One of my ancestor's was out of those that died there. Captain Bezaleel Tyler. Captain Tyler served between 1775 and 1779 in the American Revolution. He was part of the Cochection Company of the Second Ulster County regiment of the New York State Militia.

In Colonel John Hathorn's account of the battle in a letter dated July 27th, 1779 he described the "proceedings on a later Tour of duty with (his) Regiment." Upon discovering Brant was taking his plundering across the river he divided his command into 3 divisions. One of them was under Captain Tyler as an advance Guard. Colonel Hathorn found himself forced to rally all of his men, which he realized by this time was smaller then he expected due to casualties, but none the less returned fire and kept up a constant battle of ammunition shooting up the hill from the river in which the "brave Captain Tyler fell."

Brant and his men escaped up the Delaware. Brant was noted as saying that he "would have done more damage, but there were too many houses there for him to burn."

While the surviving Revolutionists returned home during the days immediately following the battle there is no telling how many may have died from their wounds.

Survivors of the battle, along with families and friends in the communities were filled with such fear and sadness that no one ever went to the battleground to find the deceased soldiers until more than 40 years after. Although a couple of attempts were made later on, it was not until in July of 1822 the bones were gathered and placed together in one common grave in a Goshen park with a ceremony of approximately 12,000 in attendance.

While the Battle of Minisink was an Indian/Tory victory, Washington's troops under the leadership of General John Sullivan advanced into Western New York and eventually defeated the Indians and destroyed their settlements. The Minisink Battleground Park is located in Southern Sullivan County, off Route 97 just west of Barryville, NY.

A monument was erected to commentate the battle - Captain Bezaleel Tyler is the second name listed on that monument. As a citizen he was a farmer, to his family he was… a hero.