Fallen Heroes Come Home 43 Years after the Battle of Minisink

5^th Great Grandfather Benjamin Bennett was one of the Orange County, New York men who died at the Battle of Minisink July 22, 1779. See my last blog post Abraham and Benjamin Bennet: July 20, 1779 Minisink, NY for more information.

After the battle, thirty-three newly widowed women attempted to travel to the battle-ground to bring their husbands home. They met hardships on the trail and were forced to turn back. The ladies then hired a guide to retrieve their dead. Unfortunately, he was never heard from again.

In 1820, Dr. David R. Arnell published a sketch about Col. Benjamin Tustin who died July 22, 1779 with Great Grandfather Benjamin Bennet. The account roused public interest and a committee was organized to bring the heroes’ bones home to Orange County.

Goshen, New York’s newspaper, Independent Republican, April 29, 1822 issue, updated the committee’s progress:

   “All the bones that could be found of the brave men who fell in the battle of Minisink were collected from the battle-ground on Wednesday last, and brought to the village on the day following. They are now in the possession of the committee, with whom they will remain until the anniversary of the day upon which the battle was fought.

   “In securing the bones neither pains nor expense were spared. The party traveled about forty miles the first day, and half of that distance was a complete wilderness. They put up for the night at Mrs. Watkins’, who lived about six miles from the battle-ground, to which they proceeded the next morning. Some left their horses behind, it being very difficult to get along with a horse. The country around was a complete wilderness, scarcely exhibiting a trace of human footsteps. The battle was commenced on the banks of the Delaware, opposite the mouth of the Lackawack, and terminated about three-quarters of a mile from the river. It was a matter of astonishment to many of the party when they were shown the course taken by our troops. Some of the descents are really frightful. Most of the bones were found on the ground where the battle was fought; but some were found some distance away, which undoubtedly belonged to the wounded who had died with hunger and fatigue.”

     Source E. M. Ruttenber & L. H. Clark’s History of Orange County, New York, page 547

           

Courtesy Wikipedia

Monument at the Minisink Battleground County Park in Sullivan County, NY

The committee members planned a funeral procession to coincide with the 43^rd anniversary of the battle. An estimated 15,000 people gathered in the village of Goshen, New York for the event.

The Goshen Patriot covered the day in their July 22, 1822 edition. I’ll share a few excerpts with you.

   “On Monday morning, the 22^nd, the people began to assemble in crowds, at an early hour, to witness the public solemnities which were announced to take place on that day. At ten o’clock the preparations commenced. The cavalry, the infantry, the cadets, the mourners, the clergy, survivors of the Minisink battle, officers and soldiers of the revolution, military officers in uniform, civil and judicial officers, gentlemen of the bar, medical society, masonic brethren, &c. &c. all collected and moving from different points, at the same time to join the procession, formed a most sublime, interesting, and solemn scene.”

   “The procession was formed immediately after 12 o’clock. The bones of the brave men, who fell a prey to the merciless savages and painted tories, at the battle of the Minisink, having been deposited in two plain mahogany coffins, at the house of James W. Carpenter, were brought out, shrouded in black, surrounded by 16 grey-headed officers and soldiers of the revolution, as pall bearers, and placed each upon a separate hearse drawn by two white horses.”

    “Thirteen of the sons of those who fell on that disastrous day—major Tusten, capt. Barker, H. G. Wisner, esq., Moses Thomas, esq., Michael A. Jones, Jonathan Bennett, Samuel Bennett, John Little, Alsop Vail, Samuel Vail, Jared Mesher, Wm. Baker, and John Knap, followed as chief mourners, and beside them there were a long train of remote connexions.”

Jonathan and Samuel Bennett represented their father Benjamin in the procession. No doubt other members of the Bennett family were in attendance.

   “All things being ready, the mournful music struck up and the line moved off with a slow and solemn step. Both sides of the street were lined with spectators, from one end to the other, nearly a mile—every house was full and every sloop was crowded. The whole procession, which was something like a half mile in length, moved with great regularity and precision, and minute guns were fired, and the bell tolled during the march.”

   “When the procession arrived at the place of interment, the battalion of cadets first encircled the vault, which had been hewn out of a rock on the south side of the church—next to them were drawn up, in succession, the different societies and the military; and then the citizens, who had only been spectators. A stage was erected near the vault, where the solemn services were performed. Here we beheld an interesting spectacle—gen. Hathorn, who commanded that unfortunate expedition, as a colonel, forty-three years before, now verging upon eighty—on his left major Poppino, who was an officer under him in the same battle, now 96 years of age, and Thomas Waters, about 60, also in the same battle. Although 96 years of age, major Poppino walked with the procession, and was one of the pall-bearers.”

I located the Goshen Patriot article in Niles’ Weekly Register, Volume XXIII including Supplement to Volume XXII, pages 75-76. Hezekiah Niles became an influential journalist and was the editor of the Weekly Register magazine published in Baltimore. I’ve included a link to the complete article if you care to read it here on Google Books.