National War Memorial Registry, War Memorial Catalog Of United States

WHEN THE WAR OF 1812 BROKE OUT, THE CITY OF TROY BECAME AN IMPORTANT CENTER FOR SHIPPING FOOD AND AMMUNITION FOR THE ARMY. SAMUEL WILSON WON A CONTRACT TO SUPPLY MEAT TO THE ARMY IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY WITH ELBERT ANDERSON, A GOVERNMENT SUPPLIER. THE MEAT WAS PACKED IN BARRELS WHICH WERE STAMPED "EA-US" WHERE THE "EA" WAS ELBERT ANDERSON AND "US" STOOD FOR THE UNITED STATES. WHEN A LARGE CONSIGNMENT WAS PILE ON SAMUEL WILSON'S DOCK IN TROY A PASSENGER EXITING A BOAT WAS SURPRISED BY THE HUGH AMOUNT OF BARRELS MARKED "US" AND ASKED WHAT IT MEANT. AN EMPLOYEE OF SAMUEL WILSON'S ANSWERED THAT THE INITIALS STOOD FOR "UNCLE SAM" (SAMUEL). AS MANY SOLDIERS IN THE AREA WERE SAMUEL WILSON'S FORMER EMPLOYEES THIS JOKE SPREAD VERY QUICKLY AND "UNCLE SAM" BECAME THE NICKNAME OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.