A fact from Yellow Jackets (Indiana) appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 7 March 2009, and was viewed approximately 3,178 times (disclaimer) (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the Americanmilitia group known as the Yellow Jackets gained their name by having dyed bright yellow cuffs and fringes on their buckskins and wool coats?
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I was wondering that, and I kind think that Spencer probably was. I asked Mingusboodle but he didn't know. My source doesn't mention it either. I am trying to find out too. John Tipton was part of the men, and he later was a Rangers commander, so there is a connection there. The fact that they had uniforms ready, and so quickly organized and moved out indicates that they had some sort of formal organization before Tippecanoe. And the fact Harrison could rely on them would indicate to me that they had proven themself somewhere in the past.Charles Edward (Talk) 13:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC)Reply
Found something good! According to this, [1], Tipton was promoted to command the yellow jackets after Spencer's death. Six monthes later he was commanding the forces at Fort Vallonia, which was definately the rangers at that point. Although I cannot find anything saying so - I think the yellow jackets were a company of the Indiana Rangers. There must be something somewhere to tie this together. Charles Edward (Talk) 19:56, 25 February 2009 (UTC)Reply
Ok, I have read quite a bit, and I have found some stuff that shows that several of the Yellow Jackets were also Indiana Rangers, but nothing that says the Yellow Jackets were all Rangers, or a company of the rangers. I have found in one book were they are referred to as mounted rangers. I am not sure that this is the same thing though. If they are rangers, I think it would be fair to merge this with the Indiana Rangers article. The only thing I have found that makes me pretty sure they are Indiana Rangers is this: One book says the Indiana Rangers were at tippecanoe - but the only mounted auxilary unit at the battle that would fit that category was the Yellow Jackets and a smaller company that was later attached to the Yellow Jackets. Charles Edward (Talk) 14:52, 27 February 2009 (UTC)Reply
My ancestor, John Lang (bef.1765-1811) lived in Harrison County, Indiana. According to his great-grandson, Thomas James de la Hunt, Jr. (1866-1933) in his book, "Perry County, A History," published in 1916, John Lang was a member of the "Harrison County Yellow Jackets" and was killed by an indian; his body was buried somewhere along the Wabash. I have found no mention of him in the "Yellow Jackets." However, I have recently came across a probate record for John Lang showing that he was owed $50 for service in the "mounted rangers." Sadly, because the "Yellow Jackets" were an informal bunch of men, they left no real records for us, although a payroll roster of them can be found in the papers of John Tipton.Gransir (talk) 21:04, 22 January 2011 (UTC)Reply