The Battle of Minisink, fought on July 22, 1779, was the bloodiest and most significant Revolutionary War engagement to occur in the immediate vicinity of Sussex County. It was a brutal frontier battle that pitted the local militia against a combined force of British-allied Iroquois and Loyalist rangers.
The militia from Goshen, N.Y., took the heaviest losses, the 2nd Sussex County Regiment was deeply involved in the desperate pursuit and the defense of the frontier that followed, and our locals also had dear losses.
The conflict began when Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea), a Mohawk leader and British Captain, led a raiding party of about 60 Iroquois and 27 Loyalists into the Minisink valley, in the locale of the present-day Port Jervis/Deerpark area).
Brant sought to gather provisions and divert American troops away from the Sullivan Expedition, which was currently preparing to invade Iroquois territory. They burned the settlement, including the church, school, and several homes, taking prisoners and livestock before retreating toward the Delaware River.
Local militia units from Goshen and Sussex County gathered in the Minisink region. A heated debate occurred among the officers. Some, including Colonel John Hathorn, argued that they were outnumbered and outmatched by Brant’s professional woodsmen and should not pursue. Also at issue was to wait for the arrival of more troops to support the effort. Captain Bezaleel Tyler insisted on an immediate attack to rescue the captives. The militia chose to pursue, following Brant up the Delaware River toward Lackawaxen.
On the morning of July 22, the militia caught up with Brant’s party at a ford in the river. However, Brant outmaneuvered them, circling around to take the high ground.
The militia was forced into a small, rocky perimeter on top of a hill. They fought for several hours in the sweltering heat. Late in the afternoon, the militia ran low on ammunition. When one of their lines finally broke, the battle turned into a massacre. Brant’s forces moved in with tomahawks and bayonets. Many of the wounded, including a doctor tending to the soldiers, were killed where they lay.
While the majority of the casualties were from the Orange County (Goshen) militia, the 2nd Sussex Regiment was on high alert and participated in the response. Some of the Sussex militia had arrived and went with those of Hathorne’s troops to the fight.
Following the defeat, Sussex troops helped man the blockhouses along the Delaware, such as the ones in Montague and Sandyston, to prevent further incursions.
It was not until 1822 — over 40 years later — that the bones of the fallen were finally gathered from the battlefield and buried in a mass grave in Goshen.
Bill Truran, Sussex County’s historian, may be contacted at billt1425@gmail.com He is the author of “Mohawk Along the Delaware: A Story of the Sewards.”