Evening star., 1915-09-28
ENTERED MARINE CORPS
DURING MEXICAN WAR
In Charge Of Museum at Washing
ton Navy Yard and Is an Au-
thority on Naval Relics.

civil war were not heard of; he beat
in Washington during the Mexican war
days; was with Perry when Japan's
doors were opened to the trade of the
world: shouldered musket and fought
throughout the civil war, and played
Yankee Doodle" when the corner
stone of the Washington Monument
was being laid in place. In fact, since
he was seven years old, he has been
under the finger of Uncle Sam, answer
ing his every beck and call, and is still
answering it.
This veteran is Jared Mundell OF 649
E street southeast, and he Is employed
at the Washington navy yard; ..In,ns He Is
in charge of the museum containing
hundreds of naval war relics and
trophies, dating from the revolution
down to the war with Spain. Ana
when a reporter for The Star called on
him for some Information about his"
museum he got down his lists and read
various articles. cherished sentimental
ly by a proud government, and read
from them without the aid of glasses.
Born in Washington. D. c., December
%. 1899, he has claimed 1t as his resi-
dence ever since, leaving it only under
orders" to help in defending the nation.
He is a member of Kit Karson Post,
No. 2, G. A. r.
Mr. Mundell has under his charge
hundreds of relics and trophies. and
he watches over them every day, ex-
planning every phase of the advance of
naval ordnance from the revolution to
today to the many visitors who an
nually visit the naval museum. which
is located in the western part Of the
Washington navy yard.
Enlisted at Seven Years.
1xyha, h,,t ,a,,or ,a,r, oJd tho countrv
was embroiled in the Mexican troubles,
and the then patriotic young Mundell
was imbued with the military spirit.
The marines which then garrisoned
Washington were needed at the front.
They were sent. and then they needed
more to garrison the post here. The Of
ficials were willing to accept young
men for the post here while the older
and more trained men went to the,
front. So Mr.. Mundell enlisted as
drummer boy. When the regular gar
mustered out. But Mr.. Mundell re-
mained out only a. short time He liked
the Marine Corps SO well that he re-
enlisted when he became a few years
older. After a tour of shore duty he
was assigned to the Macedonian. In
1853 the vessel. one of the type of
wooden ships and iron men," under
Commodore Perry, went to Japan to
open that country to the worlds trade.
Not even a few schemes to intimi-
date the Americans could be worked"
said Mr.. Mundell. Il remember one
morning when I was on deck quar-
termaster on watch saw what looked
like a fort on shore. The ship was
turned broadstde on, and every gun
was loaded for eventualities The
uuartermaster said to the officer of the
deck:
what's that%
Hand me your glass; said the Off
GER of the deck.
Looking for moment through the
long glass. he replied:
"'Only a bluff
And it was" said Mr. Mundel1. "for
it turned out that during the night the
Japanese forces had obtained very
large piece Of canvas, put gun ports in
it and erected it. SO as 10 make the
American forces believe that they were
facing formidable fortress. But the
Americans couldn't be scared away"
Re-Enlisted in Union Army.
After quite term of service in
Asiatic waters. Marine Mundell re-
turned to the states. December %,
1860. which happened to be his birth
day. he was discharged by expiration
of his enlistment. When he had been
troubles of the United States started.
and the soldier Mundell enlisted, al
ways on the side of the Union. He en-
tered the 1st District of Columbia In
fantry to serve three months, but re-
manned for fourteen before he was dis
charged He couldn't stand the strain
of being away from the battle lines, SO
he again re-enlisted, this time in the
18th New York Engineers, serving then
until the end of the war, when he was
mustered out. But he did not partici-
pate in the grand review by President
Johnson fifty years ago. because he was
with Scofield in North Carolina, which
forces were the only ones in the vicinity
which were not called to Washington
to participate in the review.
From Harpers Ferry to Cedar noun
tain, the soldier, Mundell. fought dur
ing the civil war. He was with Terry
at Fort Fisher. was with Scofield at
the surrender of Johnston-in fact, there
were few battles in which this oldest
drummer boy" did not participate. A
trained soldier and veteran when the
war broke out, and with hearty de-
sire to be always on the firing line
when the country was endangered. he
was in every battle in which the Army
of the Potomac participated.
And since he was mustered out in '65
he has been in Uncle Sans service
When the war ended he obtained
place in the Washington navy yard, and
has remained ever since He is Well
known to many OmcefS ana men OF the
navy who have served at the yard, and
when there Is any question about rel cS
or early wartime days every officer
and man first thinks of Mr.. Mundell to
settle it.
Drums Monument Stone Into Place.
The boy MundelI drummed the corner
stone of the Washington Monument
into place, and would have had the
honor of riding with it into place had
not his boyhood timidity prevented it,
Mr.. Mundell said that with his drum he
went down to the Monument to witness
the exercises. With him was a flfer.
When everything was in readiness for
the lowering of the stone one of the
officials spied the drummer boy and the
fifer. He asked him to get on the stone
and ride with 1t into place. He was
timid. he said. and refused. and his
partner was told to do it. But he. too,
did not like the idea. So they were both
told to play Yankee Doodle" as the
stone was being lowered. and they did
with all the vim that was in them.
Though he missed the grand review
of fifty years ago. because "orders"
kept him in the battle territory, he is
going to celebrate the f1ftieth anniver-
sary of this event by marching up
Pennsylvania avenue with Kit Karson
Post No 2, G. A. r.. tomorrow.
Mrs. Tillie D. Entrikin, who has been
a member of the District w. r. c. for
many years. is a candidate for national