The massacre of Wyoming in July, and the horrible cruelties practiced upon some of the prisoners, had caused grave apprehensions, and these were increased by the coming of Brandt and his Indians in October. Count Pulaski and his cavalry legion were sent to Minisink, and remained there during the winter of 1778-9, and Colonel Van Cortlandt's Regiment was sent to Wawarsing. In the spring Count Pulaski and his legion were ordered to South Carolina, and on July 19 Brandt, aware of the poorly defended Minisink, came with sixty-five Indian warriors and twenty-seven Tories disguised as Indians, to the lower section, now Deer Park, south of the Neversink and while the settlers were asleep set fire to several dwellings. Some of the inmates were killed as they were fleeing and others were taken prisoners. The cattle were driven off, and much booty carried to Brandt's headquarters, Grassy Brook, on the Delaware. When news of the murderous raid was received by the militia, a council was held by Lieutenant-Colonel Tusten of Colonel Allison's Goshen Regiment, Colonel John Hathorn of the Warwick Regiment, and Captain Meeker of the New Jersey militia, and contrary to Tusten's advice, it was decided to march against the Indians with such numbers of men as could be quickly brought together. Meanwhile Brandt's force had been increased to about 300 Indians, and 200 Tories painted to resemble Indians. The small band of militiamen, commanded by Colonel Hathorn, marched to the hills overlooking the Delaware near the mouth of the Lackawaxen, and then discovered Brandt and his warriors three-fourths of a mile away. Colonel Hathorn prepared to attack them, but Brandt outmaneuvered him, and cut off fifty of his men, leaving only ninety in the fight that followed. Brandt got in their rear, and hemmed them in on a rocky slope, with the advantages of position and more than five times as many men. When their ammunition was exhausted they formed in a hollow square to fight with clubbed muskets, but the square was soon broken and the men sought safety in flight. Tusten was killed by the Indians while dressing wounds of his men behind a rock, as were also seventeen wounded men with him. Others were shot or drowned in trying to swim across the Delaware. Only about thirty survived. In Colonel Hathorn's report of the fight to Governor Clinton he says that "the enemy repeatedly advanced to from forty to one hundred yards distance and was as repeatedly repulsed"; that his men "defended the ground nearly three hours and a half and during the whole time one blaze without intermission was kept up on both sides." This was at the last stand on the slope. Hathorn's men had been firing for five hours, when, ammunition being almost exhausted, he ordered that no one fire "without having his object sure." Soon they were forced to retreat down the hill towards the river, and scattered, every man for himself. Colonel Hathorn further says: