In 1835 David Crockett wrote:
"Them that danced should pay the piper; but I suppose they will all say as the young man said of the old quaker when the robbers stopped the mail-coach. The old gentleman gave up his purse; the young man held back: a pistol was presented at him: 'Oh,' says he, 'don't shoot; old uncle always pays for me!' So poor old Uncle Sam, I suppose, will pay for all: and I am glad that the funding system has paid off our national debt, so that a few hundreds of thousands won't hurt us much now. General Jackson can pay off the post-office debt as he said he would the old debt, by borrowing; and then we'll burn all the books and old extra contracts, and begin dee novo, as the Latin scholars say in Congress."[83]
In 1835 Charles J. Latrobe, Australian governor and traveller, remarked:
"You may recollect I mentioned in a former letter, a certain double-barrelled fowling-piece which the commissioner had brought away from a government agent on the Missouri. It had kept us company ever since, going among us generally by the name of 'Uncle Sam,' such was the soubriquet given by the Americans to the General Government, from the usual initials U.S. or United States, affixed upon Government property."[84]
In 1835 Edward S. Abdy, an Englishman, observed:
"I mention this trifling circumstance, because it illustrates a striking feature in the national character. 'Uncle Sam' is the veriest slave of habit in existence, and dislikes trouble. He would rather put up with an inconvenience than put himself out of his way."
In a note he added:
"This appellation corresponds with our 'John Bull'; and is supposed to be derived from the initials U.S. As the nation has not yet been able to fix upon a distinctive title, perhaps that of Caucasia would not be inappropriate."[85]
On December 28, 1836, General George A. McCall said: "At the usual hour for the examination of recruits, one bright spring morning, the surgeon and myself having assembled in my office high up in Market Street for the purpose I have stated, the sergeant brought, among other candidates for the honor of serving 'Uncle Sam,' a perfect Hercules in physical Development."[86]
In 1838 there appeared in Bentley's Miscellany a series of articles called Uncle Sam's Peculiarities, from which the following is extracted: