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