Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-12
MEXICAN WAR SERVICE
Veterans Association to Hold
Reunion in Washington.
FOUNDED HERE IN YEAR 1873
Greetings Extended by Soldiers of
Spanish-American War.
OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION
Organization Of the Veterans Into a
National Body-Now Num-
Der Only 3,7oO.
FOUNDED HERE IN YEAR 1873
OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION

National Body-Now Num-
Der Only 3,7oO.
Arrangements are being made by the To-
| cal members of the National Association
| of Mexican War Veterans for the thirty
| third annual reunion OF that organization.
which will be held In this city February
| % and %. This meeting will be of unusual
| interest to the citizens Of Washington, as
| the association was founded here In 1873
| by Col. Alexander NJ. Kenaday. Its MEM
| bership is composed of the surviving Amer
| lean soldiers. sailors and marines who
served In the war with Mexico In 1S46-47-4s.
An interesting feature Of the reunion will
| be the greeting that will be extended to the
| Oldest organization of soldiers in this coun-
| try. that of the Mexican war, by the young
| est soldier association. the Spanish War
| Veterans. By coincidence the soldiers
| represented in each society were engaged
| in war with a foreign power. In enervat-
| Ing tropical climates. and both assoca-
tions were given birth in Washington.
Commander John Lewis Smith of the Dis
| trict of Columbia department has taken
| the matter up and will arrange for the
| patriotic blending the occasion OF the
| reunion of the venerable veterans of 1916
| to 1913 with the youthful vets of 1893
Object Of the Association.
| The object of the National Association
| of Mexican War Veterans was stated to be
! to organize the scattered veterans of that
war throughout the United States into a
| national body upon the broad principles
| Of equality, fraternity and charity. for the
! production of social intercourse good fell
! lowship and all proper assistance.
| After the Order of the Cincinnati, the
| officers actively engaged In the war with
Mexico. had founded the Aztec Club at the
City OF Mexico, October, 1S47. a month
after the capttulation. Regimental and
| state societies had organized Immediately
after returning home from Mexico in 1S4S,
and many of them maintained large and
enthusiastic memberships until the break
| Ing out of the civil war. Among the very
| oldest of the state organizations were the
| Scott Legion of Philadelphia and the Pal
metto Regiment of Charleston, s. G. The
| Scott Legion, founded in 1913 by the sur
| vivors Of the 1st and I'd Pennsylvania Reg
| iments that volunteered for the Mexican
war. has been In official and active opera
| ton ever since its founding. Very natural
| ly the meetings and official activity of the
Palmetto Regiment survivors were sus-
pended pending the civil war.
| COL kenedays loea.
| But a national association Of the
vivors OF the Mexican war. composed of
| survivors of the civil war, the veterans of
| the Mexican war having enlisted almost to
| man on one side or the other in the later
contest, was the idea of Col. A. NJ. Kena-
| day Col. Kenaday had organized the Cali
| fornia Association of Mexican War Vet
Grams In 1856, probably the first organiza-
nfa Nv int IA nd Hal
order, after the close of the civil war. Re-
moving to Washington six years later. Col
Kenaday's sympathies were aroused over
what he termed the unjust discrimination
against Mexican war soldiers In pension
matters because forsooth the veterans Of
| that war. native of and living in the SOUTH
! had cast their lot with that section in the
J civil war
Indulging. therefore. the idea of ma
! tional society OF survivors of the Mexican
| war for fraternal. social and helpful pur-
| poses. was the supreme hope that by such
| organization the class so unjustIy dealt with
| by the government might become sufficient
| ly formidable politically to be factor
and thus, gaining the public eye and SYM
pathy achieve at last reinstatement and
recognition for their glorious services to the
country in the war with Mexico.
Date Of Annual Meetings.
| February 22-23 were the days selected
| upon which to hold annual meetings, be-
cause in the first place they represented the
anniversary of the victorious battle of
Buena Vista and the 22d being the accepted
birthday of George Washington would
show their loyalty by it's observance Be-
sides. Congress was always then in session,
and 1t was against Congress this small
army of survivors of our only foreign war
was to be arrayed
Suffice 1t to say that for six consecutive
years the national association. it's spirit and
influence constantly reaching out and fur
naafI ,h1-o
I'll it embraced men In all walks of life In
every state Of the Union. held its annual
reunion In Washington city. immediately
after the meeting In 1873 bill was drafted
and introduced in Congress asking for a
service pension for old and needy Mexican
war veterans. Over q hundred thousand
men. volunteers from the then twenty-Etne
states, and the regular army establishment,
were actually engaged or route TO the
seats OF war when peace was declared in
1647. Casualties and disease In the torrid
climate OF Mexico had sadly decimated tie
ranks Of those engaged in the campaigns.
and the civil war had reaped plentiful
harvest of the survivors from Mexico and
the west. But as the names and proof Of
services poured In upon the national secrs-
tary Mr.. Kenaday found that the clnss he
proposed to benefit was by many thousands
greater than he had dared to expect.
Admitted to Pension Rolls.
After fourteen years, or In 1857. the bait
tie was won. and Mexican war survivors OF
sixty-two years were admitted TO pension
at IS per month.
The last reunion held at Washington was
in December 1888 Hundreds OF veterans
came from all parts of the country. A
great change had taken place throughout
the land Army men had ceased to re-
member the enormity of the rebellion and,
being most of them ON the retired list or
on the eve of retirement, let their thoughts
reach back to the campaigns in Mexico or
the west and their hearts warmed to the
gallant comrades of that brilliant past
Again, after twenty-three years have
passed. the old guard Of the nation will
mobilize in Washington. There were over
thousand at that reunion of 1SS3-eompara-
lively young men. the vast majority of
them. that could tramp In parade from the
Capitol to the White House, sit at the ban
quet boards far into the night and sing q
song of, love or war, and feast and wassaif
with the best.