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From Bayonets to Bombs: Delaware County in Times of War
The people of Delaware County have always been actively involved in the wars waged by the United States of America. From enlisting or volunteering for a branch of the military to organizing support on the home front, the effects of war have been felt right here at home. Revolutionary War, April 1775-Sept. 3, 1783
During the Revolutionary War there were a mere 100 settlers, or so in the area that was to become Delaware County (incorporated in 1797). Only a few tiny settlements dotted the region including Harpersfield, Pakatakan, Pepacton, the Johnston settlement in Sidney, Kortright, and Stamford. Here, as elsewhere on the frontier, allegiances were difficult to ascertain. A number of small skirmishes occurred within what was to become Delaware County, and the closest thing to a battle occurred in September of 1778 in the area of present-day Downsville. Fifty-two state-militia men under the command of Captain Samuel Clark fought about thirty-five or more Indians under the command of “Captain” Ben Shanks.
