At the opening of the Revolution Major John Decker was one of the most prominent citizens in the Minisink valley, and it is said that one of the objects of these Indian raids was to secure the scalp of Major Decker. They succeeded in burning his house to the ground and destroyed all his property during his absence from home at night, driving out his family to sleep on the banks of the Neversink River, but they didn't get the Major's scalp, though he was wounded while riding his horse homeward, and barely escaped with his life by hiding in a cave. The Brandt raid of what was known as the lower neighborhood occurred in July, 1779. News of the atrocities perpetrated by the Mohawk chief and his savage followers was conveyed to Goshen, where a pursuing force of militia was organized by Colonels Tusten and Hathorn. They overtook Brandt at the ford of the Delaware at Lackawaxen, Pa., and in the sanguinary struggle which took place on the heights above Lackawaxen on the New York side of the river, the Indians were completely victorious. The force under Hathorn and Tusten was almost annihilated, but few escaping to tell the tale of the disaster. Of these men were Captain Abraham Cuddeback of Deer Park, and Daniel Meyers of Minisink, who is said to have killed more Indians than any other man during the engagement. The town took its full patriotic share in the struggle to save the Union of States. Dr. John Conklin presided at the first meeting of citizens, April 18, 1861, and prompt measures were adopted. Nearly $1,000 was raised, and there were many donations for the soldiers and their families. The Ladies' Aid Society was formed with Mrs. H. H. Farnum as president, in September, 1862, and this association of patriotic women forwarded supplies to the front amounting to $843.63. Under the call of President Lincoln for 500,000 men in 1864 a tax of $48,600 was raised by the town to pay bounties for soldiers of $300 each. An additional tax of $155,300 was afterwards raised for a like purpose. The Deer Park roll of honor in that war numbers 428. Of these some forty-five lost their lives in the service of their country. In the Spanish-American war of 1898 eighty-two volunteers for service in Cuba were recruited in Port Jervis by Captain Benham and others under the auspices of Lafayette Post, G. A. R., of the city of New York. Of these, forty-four were attached to Company I of the Second U. S. Infantry; thirty-five to the 42d U. S. Infantry, and the remainder entered the Artillery and Cavalry arms of the service. The recruits for this war came mainly from Port Jervis, but a few came from surrounding districts. BONDED DEBT.