I can't shed any light on the term "yellow boys", but can provide a quote
from Colonel Stone's "Life of Brant"  (1838) re: the affair:

"Of the early life of Sir John Johnson not much is known. He was not as
popular as his father, being less social, and less acquainted with human
nature and the springs of human action. He accompanied his father on some of
his warlike expeditions, however, and probably saw considerable service.
Soon after the termination of the French war, he was sent by his father, at
the head of a small expedition, to the Mohawk canton of Oghkwaga, to arrest
a Captain Bull, and some other malcontents and disaffected Indians, who were
charged with being engaged in an effort to enlist the Six Nations in a war
against some other Indians, or possibly to win them over to the designs of
Pontiac. For this purpose young Johnson had a choice corps of men placed
under his command, most of whom had served with the Baronet against the
French. He had also a detachment of Indians with him. The expedition was
arranged somewhat with a view of display-for the purpose, as it was
conjectured, of giving eclat to the young commander. The enterprise was
successful-Bull and his adherents were taken, and brought in irons to
Johnstown. From thence they were sent to Albany and imprisoned for a time,
but were all subsequently discharged."

Bill Carr
Town of Malta
Saratoga County, NY

Lossing's Field Books of the Revolution and War of 1812 at
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~wcarr1/

----- Original Message -----
From: "NYHISTLED" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 6:51 PM
Subject: Yellow Boys, NYC, 1764


> Thanks to any NYHIST-L subscribers who can provide an explanation of the
term "yellow boys" as used in New York City ca. 1764. Explanation follows:
>
> The New York Mercury  for March 26, 1764, contains a news report about the
arrival in New York City of fourteen Indians captured by a force of Mohawks
sent out by Sir William Johnson to destroy hostile Indian towns in the
Chemung Valley. One of the prisoners was Capt. Bull, the son of Teedyuscung
(d. 1763), a spokesman for the Delaware Indians in their negotiations with
Pennsylvania and with Johnson. The article contains the following text:
"The most famous Capt. Bull . . . is among the Tribe of Yellow Boys.  He has
confess'd the killing and scalping Abundance of our back Inhabitants. . . ."
Bull and the other Indians were jailed in New York City and later released
on Johnson's orders.
>
> What is the meaning, in this context, of the term "Yellow Boys"?  The
Encyclopedia of New York City, ed. Jackson, does not have an entry or
reference for this term. Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical
Principles, ed. Mitford M. Mathews (1951), p. 1903, has an entry for "yellow
boy" ("yellow man," etc.) as follows: "In designations, usually contemptuous
and slang, of Negroes and Indians of a brown or mulatto color." The earliest
example of usage of the term is dated 1814, and refers to a man without
reference to a specific racial or ethnic group. The usage examples for
"yellow" man or woman or boy referring to African-Americans are all later,
starting 1830s.
>
>
> Jim Folts
> New York State Archives