Front:
OF
UNCLE SAM
THE NAME
ORIGINATING WITH
SAMUEL WILSON
DURING THE WAR OF 1812
AND SINCE ADOPTED BY
THE UNITED STATES
Portrayed
by
Edward A. Wachter
Back:
Home of "UNCLE SAM"
OAKWOOD CEMETERY
Troy, New York
HISTORY OF SAMUEL WILSON
In the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson operated a
slaughter house in the Village of Troy, N.Y. He was
popularly known as Uncle Sam and from time to time,
supplied barrels of beef to the soldiers located at
Greenbush, stamping the barrels U.S. The soldiers
from Troy designated the beef as. "Uncle Sam's,"
implying that it was furnished by Samuel Wilson. The
other recruits, thinking that the term was applied to
the letters U.S. standing for the United States, began
using the appellation "Uncle Sam" figuratively for
the United States. This interpretation was picked up
promptly by other soldiers who began to call every-
thing belonging to the government, "Uncle Sam's."
The term as applied to the United States quickly
sprang into popular favor and the weekly periodicals
soon began to sketch caricature likeness by adding
the long white beard and high hat, a typical repre-
sentation of our government.
Samuel Wilson was born in Montgomery (now Ar-
lington), Massachusetts on September 13, 1766. He
moved to Troy in February 1789 where he continued
to live until his death on July 31, 1854.
"Uncle Sam" Wilson is interred in Oakwood
Cemetery, his grave properly marked by a bronze
plaque and a 30 foot flag pole from which flies the
"Stars and Stripes," so emblematic of all he repre-
sented!
By an Act of the 87th Congress of the United
States, the following Resolution was adopted on Sep-
tember 15, 1961:
"Resolved by the Senate (the House of Repre-
sentatives concurring) that the Congress salutes
"Uncle Sam" Wilson of Troy, New York, as the pro-
genitor of America's National symbol of "Uncle Sam"."
90498-C
