Bi-Weekly Newsletter

​Uncle Sam, Continued.
Troy grew into a city and Sam Wilson’s business continued to flourish. When the United States declared war on England in June of 1812, Troy became a transfer center for troops joining the Army of the North. Sam Wilson was now the meat inspector of New York. Another New York merchant, Elbert Anderson Jr., had won a contract from the US Army to supply meat to the troops. He in turn purchased meat from Ebenezer and Sam Wilson. Sam, at this point, was locally known as “Uncle Sam.” Anderson’s containers of provisions were stamped “E.A.-U.S.” The U.S. stood for United States but at some point, was colloquially used to refer to Uncle Sam Wilson. Apparently, this connection spread far & wide with the troops.
Betsey Mann Wilson, Sam’s wife, had some interesting connections of her own. Before she married Sam, she had a boyfriend named Johnny Chapman- who later became known as “Johnny Appleseed”. Francis Scott Key, author of the song “Star Spangled Banner” was a family friend of the Manns.
Thomas Nast (1870’s) was one of the first cartoonists to popularize Uncle Sam as he appears today, although his appearance was not dissimilar to previous American symbols, Yankee Doodle and Brother Jonathan. Later, James Montgomery Flagg created the iconic WWI recruiting poster that was reissued during WWII.
 

​Harper's Weekly June 29, 1872
(Extract from cover)

Thomas Nast’s Uncle Sam, https://thomasnast.com/cartoons/uncle-sam/

Descendants of Sam Wilson, especially Jon Coe’s grandmother, worked hard to collect information that would support Sam Wilson being officially declared the ‘real’ Uncle Sam. It probably didn’t hurt that he was known in his own time as a kind and esteemed man. (See below.)

Testimony on Sam Wilson.

Mrs. Robert Wood Coe (Ellen Thomas Jackson Coe), third from left, was instrumental in gathering documents that supported the resolution passed in 1961. Thanks to her, the Coe family of Easton has a famous relative!

Known local descendants of Uncle Sam Wilson:
Jonathan Jackson Coe, Sarah Coe Anestam, Sofia Anestam, Bo Anestam, Frederick Allen Coe Jr., Blake Coe, Baker Coe, Quinn Coe, Donald Buckner Coe, Heidi Pierce, Dylan Pierce, Mathew Pierce, Deborah Coe Luke, Heather Luke, George Luke Jr. Kimberly Hedrick, Connor Hedrick, Caitlyn Hedrick, Anne Coe Judge, Michael Judge, Aiden Judge, Brennan Judge.

Anne Wooster Drury
[email protected]


Sources:
Uncle Sam, by Thomas I. Gerson & Flora M. Hood
Primary sources provided by EHS Vice President, Jonathan Coe