A new Minuteman statue was unveiled Saturday, October 24, at Minisink Battleground Park, honoring the citizen soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War and commemorating the sacrifices made at the site of one of the region’s bloodiest battles.

The dedication, organized by the Sullivan County Semiquincentennial Commission and The Delaware Company, brought together county officials, historians and residents as part of the county’s ongoing celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Sullivan County Historian John Conway, who co-chairs the commission with his wife, Debra, credited her with conceiving the project and organizing the effort to bring the statue to the park.

Conway said the statue was made possible through a partnership involving New York State, the Sullivan County Legislature and private contributions secured by The Delaware Company. County Department of Public Works and Parks, Recreation and Beautification personnel handled its installation and landscaping.

“It’s a collaboration, a public-private partnership,” Conway said. “It takes a team and collaboration on various levels. This doesn’t happen by accident.”

The statue commemorates the ordinary militiamen who left their farms, businesses and families to fight in the Revolutionary War, including those who participated in the Battle of Minisink on July 22, 1779.

During his remarks, Conway explained that the Revolution was not simply a struggle between the Continental and British armies. It also divided communities, pitting neighbors and sometimes family members against one another.

He pointed to the Cushetunk settlement along the Upper Delaware River, where residents were divided between Patriot and Loyalist sympathies. Many Patriots eventually abandoned their homes for communities farther downriver, while Loyalists remained.

“One day, you’re helping each other survive as good neighbors did in the wilderness and on the frontier,” Conway said. “And then the next day you’re killing each other on the battleground.”

Conway said the commission deliberately chose to recognize the ordinary soldiers rather than the military officers whose names are more commonly associated with the battle.

The park already contains a pavilion dedicated to Lt. Col. Benjamin Tusten, who was killed during the fighting, as well as other memorials commemorating those who participated.

“In the end, we decided it was the average militia man that deserved to be recognized,” Conway said.

The new statue is modeled after sculptor Daniel Chester French’s The Minute Man, unveiled in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1875 to commemorate the centennial of the opening battles of the American Revolution.

A plaque unveiled alongside the statue honors the citizen soldiers who took up arms at Minisink in July 1779, recognizing their service and sacrifices despite their uncertainty about the Revolution’s eventual outcome.

Sullivan County Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz spoke about the battle’s human cost and the importance of preserving its history.

“What happened on this spot 247 years ago was not a beautiful sight,” Rajsz said, comparing the sunny autumn day to the fierce fighting among Patriots, Loyalists and Native Americans.

At least 53 men were left dead or dying following the battle, she said, and their remains lay unburied for decades before residents of Goshen recovered them and erected a memorial in their hometown.

“This statue will vividly and permanently embody that promise to remember,” Rajsz said. “It will stand for generations to view to help our descendants understand that what happened here was important and should not be forgotten.”

District 1 Legislator Matt McPhillips also praised the project, calling Minisink Battleground one of the county’s most remarkable historic sites.

McPhillips said he hoped the monument would encourage more residents, particularly those living in other parts of Sullivan County, to explore the park and learn about the region’s Revolutionary War history.

The dedication featured performances by the Fort Delaware Fife and Drum Corps and a ceremonial salute by a veterans’ honor guard.

Before concluding the ceremony, Conway reflected on the significance of erecting a new monument at a time when historical statues elsewhere have become subjects of controversy.

“I think we’re one of the few places that are actually erecting statues now,” Conway said. “In a lot of parts of the country they’re tearing them down, so hopefully this will be here for a while.”

The ceremony was followed by a guided history hike through the battleground, led by Conway.

The unveiling was among approximately 25 events the Semiquincentennial Commission has helped sponsor since April 2025, when the county began commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War.

Conway said the commission intends to continue its commemorative programming through 2033, the 250th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war.