Who Were the Green Mountain Boys?
“I am as absolutely determined to Defend the Independence of Vermont as Congress are that of the United States and Rather than fail will Retire with hardy Green Mountain Boys into the Desolute Caverns of the mountains and wage war with human Nature at Large.”
Ethan Allen, 1781
The Green Mountain Boys were born out of a dispute over land ownership. Settlers who owned New Hampshire titles were caught up in a struggle between New York and New Hampshire over Vermont. Fearing eviction by New York, New Hampshire settlers formed a militia. This militia could be called up to protect, by force if necessary, the ownership of the land in the New Hampshire Grants.
Ethan Allen was its first, and by all accounts very charismatic Colonel-Commandant. Some of the methods of coercion used by the Green Mountain Boys are questionable at best, violence and intimidation often occurring as they defended their lands against the hated “Yorkers.” However, this group of Yankee vigilantes was very instrumental in resisting New York’s claims to land in what is now Vermont.
The Green Mountain Boys were one faction in Vermont, there were several factions operating in the state. It can be argued that Vermont in a state of quasi-civil war from 1770-1791, when it joined the union.
The Green Mountain Boys
The following list was compiled by the late Robert O. Bascom, of Fort Edward, after many years of research. All were with Ethan Allen at Fort Ticonderoga.
| A | Colonel Ethan Allen Ira Allen Heman Allen Levi Allen Ebenezer Andrews. . . . . . .Mount Holly, VT John Alexander. . . . . . .Brattleborough, VT Ebenezer Allen. . . . . . .Poultney, VT Gen. Benedict Arnold Thomas Ashley. . . . . . .Poultney, VT |
| B | Capt. Barnabas Barnum Hezekiah Balding Remember Baker. . . . . . .Arlington, VT Samuel Barnet. . . . . . .Barnet, VT Samuel Blagden. . . . . . .Salisbury, CT Gershom Beach. . . . . . .Salisbury, VT Ozias Bissell Thomas Barber, 3rd Colonel John Brown. . . . . . .Pittsfield, Mass Nathan Beman. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Major Samuel Beach. . . . . . .Whiting, VT Isaac Buck. . . . . . .Pittsford, VT Simeon Belding. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Elijah Babcock. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Colonel John Bigelow. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Stephen Bay Epaphras Bull |
| C | Amos Callender. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Major Noah Callender. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Colonel John Chipman. . . . . . .Middlebury, VT Colonel Robert Cochran. . . . . . .Rupert, VT Colonel Benjamin Cooley. . . . . . .Greenwich, Mass John Crigo. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT —- Chapman. . . . . . .Bridport, VT Capt. Amos Chapple |
| D | Amariah Dana. . . . . . .Amherst, Mass Capt. Asa Douglas. . . . . . .Jericho, Mass Capt. Israel Dickinson. . . . . . .Pittsfield, Mass Matthew Dunning. . . . . . .South Williamstown, Mass John Deming. . . . . . .Pittsford, VT Josiah Dunning. . . . . . .Pownal, VT |
| E | Major Samuel Elmore Zadock Everest. . . . . . .Addison, VT Lt. Benjamin Everest. . . . . . .Addison, VT Colonel James Easton. . . . . . .Pittsfield, Mass Asa Eddy |
| F | Dr. Jonas Fay. . . . . . .Bennington, VT George Foote. . . . . . .Castleton, VT Josiah Fuller. . . . . . .Bennington, VT Enos Flanders. . . . . . .Sheffield, VT |
| G | William Gilliland. . . . . . .Willsborough, NY Capt. John Grand |
| H | Ezra Heacock. . . . . . .Sheffield, CT Colonel Samuel Herrick Elias Herrick. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Lt. Jeremiah Halsey. . . . . . .Preston, CT Israel Harris. . . . . . .Williamstown, Mass Nehemiah Hoit. . . . . . .Castleton, VT Gershom Hewitt. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Isaac Hitchcock Capt. Wait Hopkins |
| J | Thomas Johnson. . . . . . .Newbury, VT Noah Jones. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT James Jones |
| K | John Kennedy. . . . . . .Bolton, VT John Kennedy, Jr. . . . . . . .Bolton, VT Samuel Keep. . . . . . .Salisbury, CT Elijah Kellogg. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT |
| L | Samuel Laughton. . . . . . .Dummerston, VT Eliphalet Loud. . . . . . .Weymouth, Mass Mathew Lyon Josiah Lewis. . . . . . .Poultney, VT Captain Luck Ensign Lewis Capt. Noah Lee. . . . . . .Castleton, VT |
| M | Ebenezer Marvin Captain Edward Mott Judah Moffet. . . . . . .Brimfield, Mass Capt. Joseph McCracken Major Amos Morrill. . . . . . .NH |
| N | William Nichols. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Luke Noble. . . . . . .Rupert, VT Daniel Newton. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Capt. James Noble |
| P | Capt. Noah Phelps. . . . . . .Simsbury, CT Capt. Elisha Phelps. . . . . . .Simsbury, CT Capt. Samuel H. Parsons. . . . . . .Deerfield, Mass Nathaniel Parker. . . . . . .Middle Granville, NY Capt. Oliver Parmerly |
| R | James Rogers. . . . . . .Hebron, NY Eli Robards. . . . . . .Vergennes, VT Thomas Rowley. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Thomas Rowley, Jr. . . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Hopkins Rowley. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT John Roberts. . . . . . .Manchester, VT Peter Roberts. . . . . . .Dorset, VT Benjamin Roberts. . . . . . .Manchester, VT John Roberts, Jr. . . . . . . .Manchester, VT Gen. Christopher Roberts William Roberts. . . . . . .Dorset, VT Edward Richards |
| S | James Sargeant. . . . . . .Williamstown, Mass Capt. John Stevens Peleg Sunderland Stephen Smith. . . . . . .Manchester, VT Nathan Smith, Jr. . . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Ephraim Stevens. . . . . . .Pittsford, VT Col. John Spafford. . . . . . .Tinmouth, VT |
| T | Joseph Tyler. . . . . . .Bridport, VT Lt. Samuel Torrey. . . . . . .Guilford, VT |
| W | Col. Seth Warner Lt. Col. Joseph Wait Col. Gideon Warren. . . . . . .Hampton, NY Ashbel Wells. . . . . . .Hartford, CT Capt. Asaph White. . . . . . .Charlemont, Mass Benjamin Wait Amos Wells Amos Weller. . . . . . .Sharon, VT James Wilcox. . . . . . .Bridport, VT Wilkes West. . . . . . .Chester, NH Capt. Samuel Wright. . . . . . .Pownal, VT Samuel Woolcott. . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Samuel Woolcott, Jr. . . . . . . .Shoreham, VT Capt. James Wills Capt. George White |