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Saint Patrick's Battalion

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The Saint Patrick's Battalion (Spanish: Batallón de San Patricio) was a unit of several hundred Irishmen, Germans, and other European Catholics who deserted the United States Army and fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848. The San Patricios should be seen in the light of the centuries long Catholic-Protestant tension in Ireland, which they had just left, as well as in the Northern United States, where they had just arrived.

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[edit] Historical perspective

For Americans of the generation who fought the Mexican-American War, the "San Patricios" were the vilest, most despicable of traitors and cowards. For Mexicans of that same generation, the San Patricios were heroes who selflessly came to the aid of fellow Catholics in great need.

In the book "Historia De Matamoros," Mexican author Jose Raul Consenco writes that many Irish lived in northern Texas, and were forced to move south due to constant raids by Indians. On their way south Gen. Taylor conscripted them with promises of salaries and land after the war. They helped Taylor attack the fort in St. Isabel, now the city of Port Isabel, TX. Realizing the Mexicans too were Catholic, the Irish knew they too were being deceived by the invading North American Protestants. Therefore a group of 40 Irish and 4 blacks presented themselves to Gen. Mejia to “volunteer and embrace Mexico’s cause.” And, even though Taylor won every battle, a number of “Yankees” would desert and join the files of St. Patrick’s Battalion. This resulted in Taylor dictating orders to shoot any Irish taken prisoner. Losing their lives in battle were the O'Reilly's, Canahan’s, and O’Flynn’s. These proud warriors died far from their homeland in a battle similar to what their ancestors did in their native island.

Without question, desertion was a serious problem for the Regular Army in south Texas and throughout the War. Some 2,800 men deserted the Regular ranks during the Mexican war— about 14% of the enlisted troops. Painful physical punishments—flogging, "riding the iron horse", barrelheading, and bucking-and-gagging— were widely used. Young American army officers were at liberty to strike any enlisted man at any time. The Regular Army of that time, like American society in general during the 1840s, disapproved of and openly discriminated against Roman Catholics. About 40% of the Regular Army units were foreign-born men. Ironically, the Regular Army was one of the few places a newly arrived Catholic immigrant from Ireland or Germany could easily get employment in a time when the economy was severely depressed and the labor market in the USA flooded with cheap immigrant labor. But few Catholic enlisted men, even those who had served in the best armies in Europe — like Britain or Prussia— could never hope to rise in rank due to their own merit. Protestant American officers encouraged the desecration and vandalism of Roman Catholic churches while on campaign in Mexico, as well as condoning the rape of Catholic women, and the theft or destruction of Catholic civilian property.

The San Patricios first fought as a recognized Mexican unit in the Battle of Monterrey (21 September 1846), as a battery of artillery commanded by John Riley. Sometimes spelled Reily, Reilly, and O'Reilly, this Irish-born artilleryman, a veteran of the British Army, had joined the U.S. Army in Michigan in September 1845 and deserted in Matamoros in April 1846. Under Riley's leadership the San Patricios served with distinction, and are sometimes credited with defeating two separate assaults into the heart of Monterrey. Their tenacity, however, did not prevent the defeat of the Mexican forces there.

Following the engagement at Monterrey, the San Patricios grew in number, by some estimates reaching an enlistment of about 800 men. Despite their excellent performance in a number of engagements as artillery, the San Patricios were ordered to muster as an infantry battalion in mid-1847 by personal order of Antonio López de Santa Anna.

As an infantry unit, the San Patricios continued to serve with distinction. Knowing that they were likely to face the death penalty if captured, the San Patricios are known to have threatened wavering Mexican troops with death by "friendly fire" at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, if they retreated. When the San Patricios were too heavily engaged to carry out their threat, the Mexican troops broke and ran, leaving the San Patricios as they fought U.S. troops in hand to hand combat.

At the Battle of Churubusco (20 August 1847) they were nearly annihilated, with most either being killed or being taken prisoner (including John Riley). They were briefly reformed just before the Battle of Mexico City some two weeks later, but never regained their former numbers and were officially mustered out of Mexican military service in 1850.

The mass hanging of San Patricios

The San Patricios captured by the U.S. Army suffered harsh punishments; they had been responsible for some of the toughest fighting (and the heaviest casualties) that the U.S. Army had faced. Those who had left military service before the official declaration of war on Mexico (Riley among them) were branded with the letter "D" as deserters and sentenced to the stockade at hard labor. Those who had entered Mexican military service following the declaration of war were hanged en masse for treason in full view of the two armies as they fought the Battle of Chapultepec (12 September 1847). By order of General Winfield Scott, 30 San Patricios were to be executed at the precise moment that the flag of the United States replaced the flag of Mexico atop the citadel. When the flag was run up the fortress' pole, the gallows were dropped.

Those who survived the war generally disappeared from history. A handful are on record as having made use of the land claims promised them by the Mexican government. Even today, they are honored and revered in Mexico far out of proportion with their numbers.

To commemorate the support of those Irish-American renegades in the Mexican army, the street in front of the Santa María de Churubusco convent was named Mártires Irlandeses (Irish martyrs). The Batallón de San Patricio is also commemorated on two separate days in Mexico; the first being September 12, the anniversary of the first executions, and the other on Saint Patrick's Day.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Bauer, K. Jack, "The Mexican-American War, 1846-1848". New York : Macmillan, 1974.
  • Hogan, Michael. The Irish Soldiers of Mexico. Guadalajara: Fondo Editorial Universitario, 1997.
  • Hogan, Michael. Molly Malone and the San Patricios. Guadalajara: Fondo Editorial Universitario, 1999).
  • Peral, Miguel Ángel, ed., "Diccionario Biográfico Mexicano". Mexico City : Editorial P.A.C., 1956.
  • Stevens, Peter F. "The Rogue's March: John Riley and the St. Patrick's Battalion," Potomic Books 2005.

[edit] Films

[edit] See also

de:San Patricios es:Batallón de San Patricio fr:Bataillon Saint Patrick

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