NY Frontier Loyalists Downstate Loyalists Other Loyalists
A hidden facet of American history is the fact that many colonists chose
to take up arms to defend their rightful ruler, King George III. The exact number of

NY Frontier Loyalists Downstate Loyalists Other Loyalists
A hidden facet of American history is the fact that many colonists chose
to take up arms to defend their rightful ruler, King George III. The exact number of
loyalists who bore arms will probably never be fully determined.
Some units' lifespans were fleeting, dependent upon British military occupation in their
area; the loyalist troops of Boston are a prime example. Other organizations, such as the
Queen's Rangers, gained reputations as soldiers to contend with.
These men believed as passionately in their cause as the patriots. The stakes were the
same: their rights as property owners and citizens of the land. As in any war, there are
winners and losers. The loyalists lost, and soon found there was no place for them in
their native land. America's loss was great; Canada, however, grew due to the talents and
strengths of these men.
Loyalist Troops in the Mohawk Valley
This unit pretty much defined partisan or irregular warfare on the frontier. Had Colonel
John Butler opted to side with the rebels, his name might show up in the same sentence
with 'Swamp Fox" Francis Marion. Butler and his son Walter kept the New
York/Pennsylvania border dwellers living in fear from 1777
(when the corps was raised after the success of Oriskany) to war's end. Whether
second hand accounts are accurate or not, both Butlers have black marks attached to their
names: John, for the
"Wyoming Valley Massacre"; and Walter, for his part in the "Cherry Valley Massacre".
Their hit and run style of warfare drew off Continental troops and supplies that were
desperately needed elsewhere. The Sullivan/Clinton Expedition of 1779 was really an effort
to put an end to the activities of the Butlers, Johnson, and Brant and his Iroquois
warriors. The unit operated until 1784; many members settled on the Niagara frontier and
founded towns like St. Catharines, Ontario.
For an accurate and complete account of the history of Butler's Rangers,
see Major Alan Woolley's page
The King's Royal Regiment of New York
Also known as Johnson's Greens(amongst other names), this regiment was raised by Sir John
Johnson in June of 1776 after his flight from the Mohawk Valley. The rank and file were
also refugees from the Mohawk and Schoharie valleys. The Greens eventually formed two
battalions, and were instrumental in building posts at Carleton (Buck) Island and Oswego.
Johnson, like the Butlers, understood the value of psychological warfare, and
raided his former homeland throughout the war. The Royal Yorkers had th