Barryville, NY - Orange County Historian Johanna Yaun will be the keynote speaker at the annual commemoration of the Revolutionary War Battle of Minisink at the Minisink Battleground Park in Minisink Ford on Saturday, July 21.
The event will mark the 239th anniversary of the encounter, one of the deadliest of the war for the Colonial side. The 46 militia killed on the afternoon of July 22, 1779 hailed from throughout the region, including a large contingent from Goshen, as well as men from Warwick and Sussex, NJ. Their bodies were left on the battleground for 43 years before whatever remains that could be gathered up were finally buried in Goshen in 1822.
Yaun will be speaking about the region’s Tories—those who remained loyal to England during the Revolution-- in her remarks, titled, “The Loyalists and Their Legacy.”
The annual event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by Sullivan County Historian John Conway in collaboration with the non-profit history education group, The Delaware Company, Debra Conway, Executive Director. The commemoration begins at 4 p.m., but there will be colonial re-enactors on hand at the Battleground throughout the day conducting living history demonstrations.
William H. Chellis, Vice President of The Delaware Company, will offer welcoming remarks. Honorable Luis Alvarez, Chairman of the Sullivan County Legislature, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Local Veteran's groups, including Tusten-Highland-Lumberland Post #6427 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Sylvan Liebla Post # 1363 of the American Legion will also participate, as will the Navasing Longrifles and 5th NY Infantry colonial re-enactors and the 143rd NYS Volunteer Civil War re-enactors, and several chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Delaware Company members Leo and Elektra Kehagias will provide musical interludes.
The Sullivan County Sheriff's Department will provide transportation up the hill from the parking lot to the site of the ceremony. The program for the event is printed by Liberty Press compliments of the Sullivan County Historical Society.
The Minisink Battleground Park is owned by Sullivan County and operated under the auspices of the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Beautification, Brian Scardefield, Director.