There is an article by the New York Folklore Society - John Allison: the collector as folk artist Volume 9 Issue 3 pages 27-36, (1983) which explains the sources for several of Allison's songs, among many other aspects of his artistry (research as well as from interviews with Allison). According to the article, the words for The Riflemans Song at Bennington are from Burton E. Stevenson's "Poems of American History" (1908).   The text was left as it appears with the exception of the word "redcoats" substituted for "strangers" in the first line. The air to this song was composed by Allison. The article also states that The Rifleman's Song at Bennington was originally printed as a poem rather than a song ("Varieties" New York Mirror - Dec 9, 1837). There is no indication of an air for this text at that time.

The article also states that The Burl Ives Songbook contains four Allison songs, all printed without credit to Allison.