Evening star., 1915-05-15
MEXICAN WAR VETERAN
95 YEARS OLD TODAY
John Cunningham 1nterestedly Dis
cusses News Of Day at
Soldiers Home.
Veteran Locomotive Engineer Takes
Toddy Every Morning and
Smokes Regularly.

Out at Soldiers Home there Is vet
eran of our war with Mexico VINO Is
celebrating the ninety-ffth anniver-
sary of his birth today. Seated in ms
automobile" as he whimsically calls
his rolling chair, he is one of the re"
veterans at the national home who was
with Scott in Mexico Although his legs
are not as strong as they once We're
and his eyes scarcely capable OF vision
the humor of his native land of Ireland
still springs in his breast with the old
vigor.
There's nothing in growing, in any
thing" he declares.
He is John Cunningham. born in Ire
land May 15, 1920. veteran OF the
Mexican war and veteran locomotive
engineer. Mr.. Cunningham declares
that according to tradition in his ram
lily Queen Victoria was born one year
and ten months ahead of me, ana
that's the way he knows when he was
born, since the keeping of vital status,
tics was not much in vogue in Ireland
in the "ould days
His father and mother emigrated to
Canada when he was year and three
months old. leaving him to the care of
an aunt, who brought him up.
Came in America in 1887.
II went to school several times, but
1 was just kid herding cows he sa1d'
reminiscently. 1t seems that following
quarrel with his aunt, in which milk
pail figured largely. he shook the sod OF
the old country from his feet forever and
emigrated to America, landing in New
York city in 1897.
His father by this time was the owner
of cotton batten factory in New YORK.
in which John Immediately went to work.
and in which he stayed until the spring
of 1s47. when he enlisted in the United
States Army against Mexico.
He was soldier in the 4th United
States Artillery, Company L. His COM
pany had some exciting times between
Vera Cruz and Pueblo. One time the
Nexicans stole 200 pack mules. Another
day, when nearing Pueblo. after a
forced march, the enemy came upon
them suddenly.
II was lying under an old lemon tree"
the veteran declared today. recalling
the incident, when the adjutant came
galloping by"
Boys, the enemy is In sight" he
yelled.
And there / was. so tired Mexican
could have knocked my head off with
the butt end of musket"
Got Low on Provisions.
During the siege of Pueblo the gar
rison, of which Mr.. Cunningham was
one, got down to "a spoonful of flour
a day." and it was only the opportune
arrival of Gen. Lane of Indiana, who
"came and cleaned the city," that pre-
vented the garrison from starving.
Following his discharge from the
army after the war. Mr.. Cunningham
entered the service of the Philadelphia
and Reading railroad. AS one of their
engineers for many, many years. he
is proud of the fact that he learned his
In May, 1859, he was sent by the
Baldwins to the Island of Cuba to run
the engine from San Diego on the line
being completed from that city to Ha-
vana.
The two engineers before him had
died, and Mr.. Cunningham had an
ticipated some trouble himself, but
says he got along famously there, TAX
ing his wife with him for several
years
Mr.. Cunningham returned to the Read
ing road, and stayed with 1t, off and
on, for the rest of his active life. He
went to Virginia City. New. at the
time the Union Pacific was being COM
pleted, and visited California. The gold
fever, he said, never struck him.
Smokes His Pipe Regularly.
Mr.. Cunningham has been at the Sol
diers' Home for thirteen years, previ-
ously having been at the home at
Hampton, Va, for six years. He takes
a little whisky and sugar every morn
ing, smokes his pipe regularly and de-
clares his appetite is pretty good"
He takes a keen but calm interest In
the questions Of the day. The present
European war he characterizes as "a
bad one," saying emphatically:
1T Is war"
THE Germans have no respect for
anybody now" he said, when asked his
opinion upon the sinking of the Lusi-
tania THE Mexicans are bad crowd
to deal with, too. Our President took
the right way with them--just have
will have to cut loose from Germany.
too if they keep on sinking our boats"
Mr.. Cunningham has one brother,
Frank, eightyfour years old, in San
Francisco His wife died in 1888.
After that / didn't care much,' he
said.