George Graham Vest (1830 - 1904)

George Graham Vest (December 6, 1830 – August 9, 1904) was a U.S. politician. Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, he was known for his skills in oration and debate. Vest, a lawyer as well as a politician, served as a Missouri Congressman, a Confederate Congressman during the Civil War, and finally a US Senator. Vest was best known during his lifetime for his "a man's best friend" closing arguments from the trial in which damages were sought for the killing of a dog named Old Drum on October 18, 1869. But his greatest legacy is as the apparent originator of the phrase "history is written by the victors.” While its origin is not definitively known, Vest used it to promote the Lost Cause.