Battle of Minisink The Battle of Minisink was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought at Minisink Ford , New York , on July 22 , 1779 . It was the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley . The battle was a decisive British victory , as the colonial militia was hastily assembled , ill - equipped , and inexperienced . Brant ' s raid . Although British forces were largely concentrated on Manhattan Island , Joseph Brant , a Mohawk war chief and a Captain in the British army , was sent along with his Brant ' s Volunteers on a quest for provisions , to gather intelligence on the Delaware in the vicinity of Minisink , and to disrupt the upcoming American Sullivan Campaign . In July 1779 , he received word that Kazimierz Pulaski ' s forces had moved into Pennsylvania , leaving much of the Delaware Valley undefended . Brant led his force of Loyalists and Iroquois raiders through the valley , with the goal of seizing supplies and demoralizing the colonists . The settlers were forced to flee to more populated areas , and Brant pursued them . On July 20 , he reached Peenpack , which he attacked immediately . Brant ordered that " they should not kill any women or children " or Loyalists and to take prisoner any who surrendered . His raid was a crushing success and , leaving Fort Decker and the settlement in ruins , Brant and his force continued north along the Delaware River . Later that day , riders from Peenpack reached the village of Goshen , telling of Brant ' s raid and the destruction of the town . A militia formed immediately , under the reluctant command of Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Tusten . Tusten was strongly opposed to pursuing the raiders , as he knew they would be no match for the British and Iroquois soldiers , and he suggested waiting for reinforcements from the Continental Army . However , the majority of the public and the militia underestimated the fighting ability of the Iroquois and demanded immediate retribution . Outvoted , Tusten agreed to set out the following morning . They met up with elements of the Fourth Orange County Regiment ordered from Warwick by George Washington and led by Colonel John Hathorn . Colonel Hathorn assumed command and marched for the Delaware with a force of about 120 minutemen . On the morning of July 22 , the militia moved into position in the hills above the Delaware River , intending to ambush Brant ' s forces who were crossing at Minisink Ford . Hathorn split them into a group of skirmishers and two units comprising the main force . Before the ambush was set , however , Captain Bezaleel Tyler III of the militia , an experienced Indian fighter , fired at an Indian scout in Brant ' s party . This alerted Brant to the trap , and he quickly outflanked the two groups of colonials , many of whom fled . Separated from the main unit and with his forces scattered , Hathorn was unable to regroup his men for a counterattack . He was forced to retreat , leaving Tusten and the Goshen militia surrounded and outnumbered . After several hours of continuous volleys , insufficient ammunition and close quarters caused the battle to devolve into hand - to - hand combat , at which the Iroquois excelled . At least 48 militiamen were killed , including Tusten himself . One rebel { Captain Wood } was captured . Brant ' s force , on the other hand , is believed to have lost only about seven men . { Brant wrote of his casualties that three were killed and of the 10 wounded , 4 were dangerously wounded and possibly could not survive } . Although badly wounded , Hathorn survived , returning to Warwick to write his report of the loss to his superiors . Aftermath . After the battle , Brant and his men forded the Delaware and continued back to the ruins of Oquaga . The raid failed to disrupt the Sullivan Campaign and three weeks later , the Continental Army sent 3 , 000 troops into upstate New York , destroying every Iroquois village in their path . Brant finally met his defeat in late August at the Battle of Newtown . The town of Goshen was unable to bury its dead for 43 years , as the battlefield was too distant and the way too dangerous . Some of the soldiers ' widows attempted the trip , but were forced to turn back . In 1822 , a committee was formed to travel to the battlefield and comb the area for remains . The few bones recovered were buried in a mass grave , first in Barryville and later moved to the village of Goshen . A stone obelisk was erected for the centennial of the battle , engraved with the names of the dead . In 1847 , a burial was discovered in Lackawaxen , Pennsylvania that is believed to be the remains of a casualty of the Battle of Minisink . The site now serves as a memorial tomb for unknown Revolutionary War soldiers . Today , the site is Minisink Battleground County Park in Sullivan County a couple of miles north of the Hamlet of Barryville near the Roebling Bridge . There are no man - made structures contemporary to the battle , but the park contains several trails , monuments , picnic areas , and a visitors ' center .