UNCLE SAM: PATRIOT, MEAT PACKER AND FARMER

Samuel Wilson's name DOES appear in most encyclopedias, but not where you'd expect, under "Wilson."

Try "Uncle Sam."

Samuel Wilson was a farmer and a businessman, and history tells us it was Wilson who may have been responsible for the "Uncle Sam" designation that symbolizes the United State.

He was born in Massachusetts on Sept. 13, 1776, the son of a Minuteman.

Young Samuel served as a messenger and service boy for the army of the colonies. He tended livestock and performed other routine farm chores typical of boys his age in the effort to help feed the soldiers.

Following the Revolutionary War, Wilson went into the meat-packing business.

In 1812, Wilson found himself involved in another effort to help feed soldiers of the American Army. During the War of 1812, the young United States of America was at war again with the British.

Samuel Wilson's meat-packing business was invaluable to the war effort, supplying beef to the American Army. Barrels of beef were shipped to the front lines to feed the soldiers, and each barrel was marked with the letters, "U.S."

The initials U.S. stood for United States, but not according to the soldiers on the receiving line of the barrels of meat. The soldiers said U.S. stood for the nickname of the benefactor who suppled the beef.

His generosity was known far beyond the community where he worked and lived. A friend to all, Samuel Wilson was fondly nicknamed "Uncle Sam."

The story of Wilson and his gifts of beef is also detailed in other Uncle Sam publications, "The Adventures of Uncle Sam," and "Foremost Guide to Uncle Sam Collectibles."

After the War of 1812, the nickname caught on, and soon U.S. and Uncle Sam became synonymous among soldiers. Newspaper cartoonists started drawing a tall, thin, man dressed in red, white and blue stars and stripes, clothing to portray Uncle Sam, who in turn portrayed the U.S. government.

Of course, Uncle Sam appeared in several forms in different periods of U.S. history. In one political cartoon from 1934, a beardless Uncle Sam was portrayed wearing a striped gown and night cape, representing an "ailing" U.S., during the depression.

In another poster, perhaps the most famous of all, Uncle Sam was shown in top hat, beard and urging men to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War I. This portrait was painted by noted artist James Montgomery Flagg.

The costume of Uncle Sam originated in the cartoons of the 1830s and 1840s. By late in the century, Uncle Sam was a favorite subject of political illustrator Thomas Nast and Bernard Gilliam. Later, other artists, such as J.C. Leyendecker, Flagg, Charles Dana Gibson, and Norman Rockwell created their own versions of Uncle Sam.

Early artist renditions of Uncle Sam show him as clean shaven, but in some 1850s and 1860s circles, many thought that you "could not trust a clean shaven, beardless gentleman, much less a politician."

Soon, Uncle Sam was sporting a goatee.

Congress has ensured that Samuel Wilson would not be forgotten to history. Although his name and story may not appear in history books, Samuel Wilson's name does appear in the Federal Register. In 1961, Congress passed a resolution officially recognizing Samuel Wilson as "the real Uncle Sam."

Wilson has been described as a true American patriot. He was a farmer who helped America win and keep independence.

On a belated note, here's wishing a Happy Fourth of July to Uncle Sam.