ITS FORTS AND SOME OF ITS WAR OCCURRENCES, ETC.
Previous to the invasion of this neighborhood by the Indians, three forts had been built in it in 1777 or '78; one at the house of Major Decker, where George Cuddeback now lives, [FN-1] one at the house of Daniel Van Auken, near the present brick house of James D. Swartwout, Esq., [FN-2] and the other at the house of Peter Decker, in the present village of Port Jervis. The fort at Major Decker's was convenient for the families of Esq. Anthony Van Etten, Sylvester Cortright, Capt. Westbrook, Moses Cortright, Abraham Van Auken, and Schoonover; and the fort at Van Auken's was convenient for the families of James Van Fliet, Solomon Kuykendall, Esq., Simon Westfall, John Decker, and one or two other families; and the fort at Decker's [FN-3] was convenient for the families of Wilhelmus Cole, Martinus (Martin) Decker, Samuel Caskey, James Davis and Utley Westbrook.
[FN-1] Now (1889) occupied by Henry G. Cuddeback.
[FN-2] Now (1889) owned by Ludwig Laux.
[FN-3] Located upon the present site of the old stone house in Germantown, formerly occupied by Stephen St. John, deceased, and his family.
On the 20th of July, 1779, Brant, with a corps of Indians and Tories, invaded this neighborhood. The occurrences of which and of the battle of Minisink, one or two days afterwards, are contained in Eager's History of Orange County, page 388, &c., relative to the invasion and in relation to the battle see page 490, &c. There were about 18 families in this neighborhood who suffered in a greater or less degree the effects of the war, and a great proportion of them lost much property by the plunder and destruction which the enemy made by taking some of the best horses, plundering houses of goods and wearing apparel, burning of houses, barns and other buildings. In addition to which a few prisoners were taken, two of whom were slaves and two or more were killed. This invasion caused many of the best citizens of Goshen and vicinity to volunteer and pursue the enemy. The result of this was a more grievous calamity than the former, the results of which can be obtained as mentioned.
The number of children and domestics of each family in the lower neighborhood I cannot correctly determine, but contemplate the number of children to have been nearly as follows, to wit:
| Anthony Van Etten | 15 | |
| Daniel Van Auken | 15 | |
| Major John Decker | 6 | |
| Moses Cortright | about | 7 |
| Jacob Schoonover | about | 3 |
| Abraham Van Auken | " | 4 |
| Capt. John Westbrook | " | 7 |
| John Decker, Sr. | " | 6 |
| Sylvester Cortright | " | 4 |
| ____ Decker | " | 4 |
| James Van Fliet | " | 8 |
| Solomon Kuykendall | None. | |
| Simon Westfall | " | 6 |
| Wilhelmus Cole | " | 4 |
| Peter Kuykendall | " | 5 |
| Samuel Caskey | " | 6 |
| Martinus (Martin) Decker | 3 | |
| Utley Westbrook | 2 | |
| Whole number | 105 |