On this date in 1904, John F. Briggs of Wahpeton was known around the country as “Uncle Sam.” He was a popular enactor in Grand Army of the Republic parades and 4th of July celebrations. A veteran of the Civil War, he attended every national G.A.R. convention but two.
Mr. Briggs had just returned from Boston, where it was reported: “Though he is 86 years old, he is as hale and strong as a man 20 years younger. His long, thick gray hair and beard, surmounted by a white silk hat, made the picture complete.”
Mr. Briggs’ uniform was made by the ladies of the G.A.R. and presented to him on his 80th birthday. It was made entirely of silk. The coat sky blue, the vest light red, and the trousers white with red and blue stripes.
Mr. Briggs was born on the 4th of July, 1818, in New York State. He moved to Wisconsin in 1854, and in 1879 came to Wahpeton to claim a homestead. He was a lifelong farmer.
He always marched at the head of the North Dakota representation, next to the color bearer. During the parade at the May 1904 encampment in Washington, D.C., a lady drove up alongside in a carriage and invited him to call at the White House. She was Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt.
When Mr. Briggs called, he was graciously received. Mrs. Roosevelt said she thought she had a right to demand a meeting with Uncle Sam being the U.S. President’s wife. She added, “When you come again, you must be sure to bring Mrs. Briggs.”
The Minneapolis Tribune said: “John F. Briggs is the only man in all the United States, so far as is known, who can represent the mythical father of this country without make-up by simply donning a costume of the national colors.”
He led his last G.A.R. march in Toledo, Ohio, at age 91.
A large portrait of Mr. Briggs in his Uncle Sam uniform can be seen at the Richland County Historical Museum, across the street from Chahinkapa Park in Wahpeton.
Dakota Datebook written by Lise Erdrich
Sources:
- "UNCLE SAM" STILL STRONG AND HEALTHY. John F. Briggs is the Only Man in the Country Who Can Represent the Character Without Make-Up. 86 Years Old, But Hale and Hearty. Received By Special Request at White House. Minneapolis Tribune, reprinted in The Wahpeton Globe, May 12, 1904, Page 4
- Our "Uncle Sam." Wahpeton Gazette, September 23, 1904, Page 1
