Chapter III: Part 3

[93] These of course need not be specified. In the _Boston Daily Advertiser_ of April 12, 1902, was printed an article headed "Origin of the Term Uncle Sam. A Story that is Vouched for by Rev. G. F. Merriam--The Original 'Uncle Sam' House." It is in part as follows: "Sterling, Apr. 11.--Rev. G. F. Merriam of Mt. Kisco, N. Y., who is in Sterling as a guest of his son and daughter, told a story of the origin of the term 'Uncle Sam,' as applied to the United States. He said a farm in Mason, N. H., belonging to the estate of Mrs. Persis Wilson, who died recently, and which estate he was engaged in settling, was the birthplace and boyhood home of Uncle Samuel Wilson, who was the original 'Uncle Sam.' The story, vouched for by Rev. Mr. Merriam, ... is this:--Samuel Wilson was one of a family of 12 children, ... and he and his younger brother, Edward, located when they were young men, in Albany, N. Y., and at the time of the war of 1812, became extensive contractors for government supplies. They were at this time well known in the vicinity of Albany as 'Uncle Sam' and 'Uncle Ned.' The packages of supplies when sent away to United States government supply depots, were marked 'U.S.,' and people sometimes questioned what those magic letters stood for. They were told that as the packages came from Uncle Sam Wilson, they of course meant 'Uncle Sam,' and from this little thing the name spread, until the government itself was referred to as Uncle Sam. The farm where these men lived as boys, fell into the hands of another brother, Capt. Thomas Wilson, and then to his son, Deacon J. B. Wilson, who died several years since, and his widow, Mrs. Persis Wilson, lived there until her death last winter. Rev. Mr. Merriam was a particular friend of the family, and as executor is attending to the sale of the property. The house contains many relics ... and many historic articles, the sale of which, Apr. 30, will doubtless attract many of the curiosity hunters. The original 'Uncle Sam' house is standing, although a new house has been erected near by, and everything is to be sold" (p. 4-6). Edward Wilson was older than either Ebenezer or Samuel. A letter addressed in 1902 to the Rev. Mr. Merriam brought no reply.

[94] See p. 32, note 47, above.

[95] _Albany Gazette_, October 5, 1812, p. 3-5. The same advertisement appeared in the _Troy Post_, of October 6, p. 3-4, of October 13, p. 3-4, and of October 20, pp. 3-4; and in the _New York Herald_ of January 23, 1813, p. 4-4, though in the last the advertisement was dated October 17.

I have noted several other references to Anderson. In the _New York Evening Post_ of October 10, 1812, appeared the following: "[index] Col. Mapes and the officers under his command, in behalf of their men, return thanks to Elbert Anderson, Junr. Esq. for his liberal present of 100 bushels of Potatoes, 2 boxes of Chocolate, and 1 box of Tea--also, a waggon load of Potatoes from Saml. Hobart and Stephen Striker, on behalf of the inhabitants of Gravesend; ..." (p. 2-5). In the _Albany Gazette_ of December 24, 1812, was printed a letter from Anderson himself (p. 3-4):

"_Messrs. Websters and Skinners_,

"A statement having appeared in your paper, purporting to be the substance of a declaration made by Col Thorn, that 'two or three thousand barrels of provisions have been deposited within a mile and a half of the Canada line.' As that statement may mislead the public and invite the enemy to encroachments, I beg leave to state thro your paper, that there is not more provisions deposited or left near the line than is sufficient for the subsistence of the men there stationed for the winter: the surplus being removed, to my certain knowledge, to Burlington, and other places of presumed safety, and I believe the same care and prudent precaution has been taken as respects the munitions of war that were at Champlain.

"ELBERT ANDERSON, Jun.
"_Albany, Dec. 19, 1812._ _Army Contractor._"

[96]This statement is made in J. B. Hill's History of Mason (1858), p. 209; but there is no record of his birth in the Vital Records of Arlington (1904).

[97] Lucy Francis was born March 12, 1738-39 (Vital Records of Medford, 1907, p. 60), and died at Mason, December 8, 1835.

[98] For the Wilsons, see, besides the books by Mr. Weise cited above, Hill's History of Mason, p. 209; Cutter's History of Arlington (1880), p. 323; Vital Records of Arlington, pp. 47, 157. Edward and Lucy Wilson had thirteen children.

[99] _Northern Budget_, September 17, 1805, p. 3-4; September 24, p. 4-1; October 1, p. 4-2. The same advertisement, except that the date was changed to September 24, appeared in the _Troy Gazette_ of September 24, 1805, p. 3-4.

[100] The notice was repeated in the _Troy Post_ of October 12, 19, and 26. The business of the firm was dry goods and groceries. In spite of the dissolution of partnership, the advertisement of Wilson, Mann & Co., dated May 7, 1813, appeared in the _Troy Post_ of October 12, 1813.

James Mann, who continued the business, was a son of Benjamin Mann of Keene, New Hampshire. Several years ago I had a correspondence with Mrs. Louise Benson, a descendant of Benjamin Mann. Mrs. Benson merely spoke of the existence in her family of the tradition about the Wilson story, but was unable to give me any new facts.

[101] The _Troy Post_ of June 17, 1817, (p. 3-3), contained a notice of the marriage on June 9 of Elizabeth Wilson, a daughter of Ebenezer Wilson, and the Rev. James Ogilvie of New York.

[102] Quoted in the _Troy Sentinel_, July 26, 1825, p. 3-4. Mr. Barton kindly sent me the same notice copied from the _Albany Argus_ of July 29, 1825. In his Collections on the History of Albany, published in 1867, Joel Munsell quoted (II, 479), under the head of "Beef Packing in Albany," an article taken from _Knickerbocker_ containing this passage: "In 1830 Albany was not only a great cattle packing centre, but the same was true of Troy, Waterford, Lansingburgh and Catskill. Uncle Eb. Wilson was at Catskill; Perry and Judson at Albany: C. P. Ives, Lansingburgh; and Capt. Turner at Batestown, near Troy." When this passage was written it is impossible to say, as Munsell does not specify the volume or date of _Knickerbocker_, a magazine which began publication in 1833. As, however, the writer specifies the year 1830, it is certain that his "Uncle Eb. Wilson" was not identical with our Ebenezer Wilson; but the coincidence in name is worth recording.

[103] In the library of our Society and in that of the New York Historical Society I have found various Troy and Albany newspapers, but those files were very incomplete. At my request, Miss Wheeler of the Troy Public Library searched for me the files owned by that library: and I am indebted to her for several valuable and interesting extracts.

[104] _Troy Daily Budget_, August 2, 1854, p. 2-3. Other notices of Samuel Wilson appeared in the Troy papers.

"[index]Died--SAMUEL WILSON, aged eighty eight years, died this morning at his residence 76 Ferry street. The deceased was one of the oldest inhabitants of this city. He came to Troy about the year 1793, and consequently had resided here 61 years. He was about the last of those termed 'first settlers.' Mr. W. purchased the lands east of the city, now owned by Messers. VAIL and WARREN, and occupied by them for farming purposes till about 1820. He then sold them all, except about four acres, upon which his present residence stands. He has been one of the most active business men of the community, and we can truly say that he was an honest and upright man" (_Troy Daily Times_, July 1, p. 2-3).

"[index]Samuel B. Wilson, another of our oldest citizens, died at his residence on Ferry st. hill this morning. He was about 80 or 90 years of age" (_Troy Daily Budget_, July 1, p. 2-4). "B." is evidently a printer's error.

"[index]_Samuel Wilson_, aged 88, died yesterday morning at his residence 76 Ferry street. Mr. Wilson was one of the oldest inhabitants of the city" (_Troy Daily Traveller_, August 1, p. 2-2).

"Died. On Monday Morning, Samuel Wilson, in the 88th year of his age. His relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend his funeral this (Tuesday) afternoon at 3 o'clock, at his late residence, No. 76 Ferry-st." (_Troy Daily Traveller_, August, 1, p. 2-4).

"Died. In this city, July 31, Mr. Samuel Wilson, aged 88 years. Funeral services will be held this (Tuesday) afternoon at 3 o'clock, at his late residence, 76 Ferry st." (_Troy Daily Whig_, August 1, p. 2-6). The hasty burial may have been due to the fact that cholera was then raging in Troy. See _Troy Daily Traveller_, August 2 and 4.

It will be observed that in the above notices, written for the Troy papers, there is no allusion to the Uncle Sam story. In the _Albany Evening Journal_ of August 1, 1854, appeared the following, which I copy from the _New York Tribune_ of August 4: "'Uncle Sam.'--The death of Samuel Wilson, an aged, worthy and formerly enterprising citizen of Troy, will remind those who were familiar with incidents of the War of 1812, of the origin of the popular subriequet [_sic_] for the 'United States.' Mr. Wilson, who was an extensive packer, had the contract for supplying the northern army with beef and pork. He was everywhere known and spoken of as 'Uncle Sam,' and the 'U.S.' branded on the heads of barrels for the army were at first taken to be the initials for 'Uncle Sam' Wilson, but finally lost their local significance and became, throughout the army, the familiar term for 'United States.' The Wilsons were among the earliest and most active citizens of Troy. 'Uncle Sam,' who died yesterday, was 84 years old" (p. 3-6).

The same notice was printed in the _Troy Daily Budget_ of August 2, p. 3-3; and in the _Troy Daily Whig_ of August 3, p. 3-2. In the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for October, 1854, was printed the following: "WILSON, Mr. Samuel, Troy, N. Y. 31 July, _æ._ 88. It was from this gentleman that the United States received the name of _Uncle Sam_. It came in this way,--Mr. Wilson had extensive contracts for supplying the army with pork and beef, in the war of 1812. He was then familiarly known as _Uncle Sam_ Wilson. His brand upon his barrels was of course U. S. The transition from United States to _Uncle Sam_ was so easy, that it was at once made, and the name of the packer of the U. S. provisions was immediately transferred to the government, and became familiar, not only throughout the army, but the whole country" (VIII, 377).

[105] _Albany Gazette_, September 24, 1812, p. 1-1; October 12, p. 1-1. The Troy papers of September and October, 1812, have been searched in vain for this advertisement. It is of course possible that the Wilson of the firm of Wilson and Kinnicut of Albany was Samuel Wilson of Troy, but it would be rash to assert their identity.

The name Kinnicut does not appear in the Albany Directory for 1813, the first published. An advertisement dated July 9, 1805, in regard to "Fresh goods just received by Pierce & Kinnicut," was printed in the _Troy Northern Budget_ of September 3, 1805 (p. 1-3); and in a previous issue of the same paper occurred the name of Robert S. Kinnicut. A notice, dated December 14, 1815, of the dissolution by mutual consent of partnership of the firm of R. S. Kinnicut and Zebina Sturtevant was printed in the _Albany Register_ of June 7, 1816, (p. 1-3). In the Albany Directory for 1813 appeared the name of "Sturdivant, Zebina, grocer" (Munsell's Annals of Albany, 1854, V. 89).

[106] The Albany Directory for 1813 contained the names of Ishmael Wilson, laborer; Newman Wilson, teamster; Samuel Wilson, potter; and widow Martha Wilson, teacher. Samuel Wilson was a constable in the Second Ward. (Munsell's Annals of Albany, V. 47, 97.). Mrs. Jane Wilson, wife of Samuel Wilson, globe manufacturer, died May 8, 1827. (Munsell's Annals of Albany, 1856, VII, 124.) Samuel Wilson, of the firm of James Wilson & Son, died at Schodack on August 29, 1830. (Munsell's Annals of Albany, 1858, IX, 215).

[107] See the obituary notice of Ebenezer Wilson, p. 55, above.

[108] I am indebted to Mr. Weise for courteous replies to several queries. He writes me: "The fact that the Wilsons received contracts for the supply of beef to the troops encamped at the cantonment at Greenbush, and that Samuel Wilson was an inspector, together with the information respecting the sites of the Wilson slaughtering houses in Troy, I obtained from old inhabitants of Troy intimately acquainted with the two brothers." Mr. Weise adds that the notes taken by him when preparing his various books on Troy are stored and so are inaccessible at present.

[109] See p. 57, note 104, above.

[110] See The Trojan Sketch Book, edited by Miss Abba A. Goddard (1846); Hunt's Merchants Magazine for June, 1846, XIV, 515-523; D. O. Kellogg's City of Troy (1847); Hunt's Merchants Magazine for September, 1849, XXI, 298-305; John Woodworth's Reminiscences of Troy (1853, second edition in 1860). Mr. Weise's History of the City of Troy was published in 1876.

[111] "The army of the U.S." (_Salem Gazette_, January 21, 1812, p. 3-2). "An ambitious president ... might march the militia ... out of the U. S. and keep the whole of the regular force within" (_Connecticut Courant_, January 22, 1812, p. 3-4). "The Gull Traps which are now set through the U. States" (_Columbian Centinel_, February 19, 1812, p. 2-2). "Equipped at the expense of the U.S." (_Salem Gazette_, July 31, 1812, p. 3-2). "The army of the U.S." (_Yankee_, August 21, 1812, p. 3-2). "Which cost the U.S. five dollars to transport to Greenbush" (_Columbian Centinel_, September 26, 1812, p. 2-2). "War ... between the U.S. and G.B." (_Columbian Centinel_, December 19, 1812, p. 2-3). "Four regiments of U.S. troops" (_Columbian Centinel_, December 26, 1812, p. 2-3). "The enemies of the U. States" (_New York Spectator_, January 9, 1813, p. 2-5). "The President of the U. States" (_National Intelligencer_, January 12, 1813, p. 3-1). "The U. S. Senate" (_New York Spectator_, February 11, 1813, p. 1-1). "What shall we say of her conduct during the present war with the U.S.?" (_National Intelligencer_, April 3, 1813, p. 3-4). "A regiment of U. S. troops" (_Columbian Centinel_, June 16, 1813, p. 2-4). "The Navy of the U.S." (_Yankee_, July 23, 1813, p. 3-1). "U.S. Law" (_New England Palladium_, August 31, 1813, p. 1-1). "Gen. Varnum, ... (whose recent votes in the U. States' Senate shew, that he is beginning to reflect)" (_New England Palladium_, September 3, 1813). All these citations, which could be multiplied indefinitely, are of an earlier date than the first appearance of Uncle Sam. A few instances previous to 1812 may be given. "Major Rice of Hingham, we are informed, is appointed a Colonel in the U.S. army" (_Columbian Centinel_, October 27, 1798, p. 2-4). "The President of the U. States" (_Columbian Centinel_, March 20, 1799, p. 2-2). "Christopher Gore, Esq. Commissioner of the U. S. at the Court of London" (_Columbian Centinel_, March 20, 1799, p. 2-4). "The President of the U.S." (_Columbian Centinel_, March 14, 1807, p. 2-3). But while, as thus seen, the initials U. S. were perfectly familiar to Americans in 1812 and 1813, yet no doubt the war with England made them still more common. Attention may also be called to the example of "U.Sam" quoted on p. 37, above.

[112] Page 22. A copy of the opera in the Ridgway branch of the Library Company of Philadelphia has written in ink on the title page, "by Col. Thomas Forrest of Germantown. S." Who "S." was, I do not know. John F. Watson also stated that "Mr. Forrest wrote a very humorous play, (which I have seen printed)" (Annals of Philadelphia, 1830, p. 232).

[113] _New York Journal_, October 13, 1768, p. 2-2.

[114] Collections, Historical and Miscellaneous; and Monthly Literary Journal, III, 158, 159.

[115] It is in a collection of Songs, Ballads, etc., in three volumes, presented to the Society by Isaiah Thomas in August, 1814, and stated by him to have been "Purchased from a Ballad Printer and Seller, in Boston, 1813. Bound up for Preservation--to shew what the articles of this kind are in vogue with the Vulgar at this time, 1814." In 1903 the Rev. Dr. Edward Everett Hale printed this version in his New England History in Ballads, pp. 116-120.

[116] My attention was called to this in 1901 by Mr. Worthington C. Ford, who kindly sent me a blue print of it. As the library officials have for years been unable to find the volume containing the original, my blue print is valuable. The title, and the fact that at the top of the broadside is a cut of a drummer and three soldiers, make me think that this version is older than the other.

[117] By earlier, I merely mean that it was printed earlier. The words of the two versions are practically identical.

[118] Historical Magazine, I, 92.

[119] The Contrast, Act III, Scene i, p. 45. For purposes of comparison, I give the first stanza. Tyler has it:

"Father and I went up to camp,
Along with Captain Goodwin;
And there we saw the men and boys,
As thick as hasty-pudding."

The version owned by this Society reads:

"Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Gooding,
And there we see the men and boys,
As thick as hastypudding."

The Farmer and Moore version is as follows:

"Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Goodwin,
Where we _see_ the men and boys
As thick as Hasty-_puddin_."

It is of course possible that my blue print is earlier than 1789, but its date is purely conjectural.

Dr. Hale writes: "An autograph note of Judge Dawes, of the Harvard class of 1777, addressed to my father, says that the author of the well-known lines was Edward Bangs, who graduated with him." It is curious that some (but not all) of the lines should have first been printed in a play written by a member of the Harvard class of 1776.

[120] In a song called Brother Jonathan, doubtless written in 1708, when war with France was thought imminent, and printed in 1800 in The Nightingale, or Rural Songster (Dedham), p. 118, is found this stanza:

"I think it's darned wrong, be sure,
Because we us'd 'em clever;
An' uncle vums a sailor works
Much harder than a weaver."

Throughout the war of 1812, song after song was written to the air of Yankee Doodle.

[121] An article headed "The D.D.'s," which was printed in the _Kansas Herald of Freedom_ of August 25, 1855, begins as follows: "The _Missouri Democrat_ has a very fine article under this head. It says the politicians have lately taken upon themselves the liberty of conferring the degree of D.D. upon its voters with a most promiscuous irreverence" (p. 2-3). It states that Thomas H. Benton was responsible for the nicknames applied to Petitt and Douglas.

[122] Notes and Queries, Ninth Series, V, 380, 439 (May 12, June 2, 1900); Tenth Series, VII, 257 (March 30, 1907).

[123] See W. F. G. Shanks's Personal Recollections of distinguished Generals (1866), p. 117.

[124] _Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper_, quoted in Notes and Queries, Ninth Series, V. 104 (February 10, 1900).

[125] Notes and Queries, Ninth Series, X, 503 (December 27, 1902).

[126] Notes and Queries, Ninth Series, X, 503 (December 27, 1902).

[127] Notes and Queries, Ninth Series, X, 503 (December 27, 1902).

By a still further exercise of humor, an article in an English journal on the London "Bobby" is headed "Robert Again" (Black and White, July 25, 1903, XXVI, 110); while the London _Times_ converts Tommy Atkins into "Mr. Thomas Atkins." Similarly, Uncle Sam becomes Uncle Samuel, of which an instance dated 1816 has already been given. (See p. 41, above.) "Our good Uncle Samuel," wrote General Randolph B. Marcy in 1872 (Border Reminiscences, p. 66). A letter which appeared in the _Philadelphia Aurora_ of October 14, 1812, was signed "Johannes Taurus" (p. 1-1).

[128] See p. 33, above.

[129] See p. 34, above.

[130] See p. 43, above.

[131] See p. 44, above.

[132] See p. 45, above.

It need hardly be pointed out that the word "uncle" has long been employed in this country. In a play written in 1815, David Humphreys made Doolittle, the Yankee hero, thus soliloquize about the Countess St. Luc, another character in the play: "I like her tu; though she is so tarnation strange and sad, by what I larnt jest now. She's quite a decent, clever woman--ladyship, I shood say; about as nice and tidy a crittur as ever trod shews'-leather. (_Looking at the glass as he passes, and admiring himself_) Well! my fortin's made. I woodn't give that (_snapping his fingers_) to call the _President_ and all the _Congress 'Uncle!'_ Why, I am as fine as a fiddle" (Act I, p. 39). On September 3, 1838, Hawthorne said: "The Revolutionary pensioners come out into the sunshine to make oath that they are still above ground. One, whom Mr. S---- saluted as 'Uncle John,' went into the bar-room, walking pretty stoutly by the aid of a long, oaken staff" (American Note-Books, 1883, I, 190). In 1853 Lowell wrote: "'Do you think it will rain?' With the caution of a veteran _auspex_, he evaded a direct reply. 'Wahl, they _du_ say it's a sign o' rain comin', said he. I discovered afterwards that my interlocutor was Uncle Zeb. Formerly, every New England town had its representative uncle. He was not a pawnbroker, but some elderly man who, for want of more defined family ties, had gradually assumed this avuncular relation to the community" (Moosehead Journal, Prose Works, 1890, I, 16). The _Salem, Gazette_ of June 13, 1815, contained a paragraph headed, "The Cogitations of Uncle John" (p. 3-2). It has already been pointed out that Timothy Pickering was nicknamed "Uncle Tim," See p. 26, above.

* * * * *

Transcriber's Notes:

Punctuation errors repaired. Archaic spelling retained.

Footnote 5, "June" was italicized in the original text. It was changed to plain text to match the format of the rest of the text. (_Portsmouth Oracle_, June 26)