Saint Patrick's Battalion

Saint Patrick's Battalion
File:San patricios flag.jpg Reproduction of the Batallón de San Patricio's flag, as described by Jon Riley
Active	1846-1847, disbanded-1850
Country	Mexico
Branch	Mexican army
Type	artillery/infantry
Size	800 maximum strengh
Garrison/HQ	San Luis Potosi
Nickname(s)	"san patricios", “Los Colorados Valientes”
Patron	Saint Patrick
Engagements	Mexican-American war * Battle of Monterrey * Battle of Buena Vista * Battle of Cerro Gordo * Battle of Churubusco * Battle of Mexico City
Commanders
Notable commanders	Brevet Major Jon Riley Santiago O'Leary Colonel Francisco R. Moreno

The Saint Patrick's Battalion (Spanish: Batallón de San Patricio) was a unit of several hundred Irishmen, Germans, Scotsmen 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.

Historical perspective

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

Many american historians wish to write off the members of the Saint Patrick's Battalion as malcontents who weren't happy with their lot, only switching sides for higher wages and land grants, in some cases even depicting them as unable to realize their own actions. However to accept this view out of hand would be to ignore or simply be ignorant of many important aspects of Irish history. It can argued that even back to the 17th century with the Flight of the Wild Geese, Irish men had a long tradition of serving in catholic country's militaries. In even more recent history is the role many Irish soldiers took in South American wars of independence.

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 the Anti-Irish racism and Anti-Catholicism in the Northern United States, where they had just arrived. The great majority of these men where recent immigrants from northeast US ports, escaping extremely poor economic conditions in Ireland, which at the time was controlled by britan. It is also important to bear in mind that throughout most of the Saint Patrick's battalion's active years the Irish Potato Famine was taking place. Irishmen and other immigrants were often recruited directly into military service shortly or sometimes immediately on arrival. Others were conscripted on their way south by General Zachary Taylor, with promises of salaries and land after the war. 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. Early in the war they helped Taylor attack the fort and supply depot in St. Isabel, now the city of Port Isabel, TX. Prehaps realizing the Mexicans too were Catholic or recognising simularites between the situation in Mexico and the one in Ireland, the Irish could not bear supporting the invading americans, although many theories exist on other possible motivations to desert; these include mistreament toward them by other(possibly nativist) soldiers and senior officers, not being allowed to attend Sunday mass or to practice their religion freely, offers of free land in Mexico(more than 300 acres) or witnessing conduct of US troops following battle victories.

The flag

There are many conflicing accounts of what the flag of the Saint Patrick's battlion actually looked like, further confused by the fact that the flag, or any versions of it, did not survive the conflict.
Jon Riely himself mentioned in a letter, regarding the appearance of the flag: Template:Quotation1

However according to an American journalist covering the war with Mexico: Template:Quotation1

Note that Mexican elements described by Kendall have been excluded from Riley's description of the flag.
Two other eye-witness accounts of the flag exist, both from american soldiers. The first describes it as: Template:Quotation1 The second only mentioning: Template:Quotation1 Another radically different version of the flag, as described in this Mexican source: Template:Quotation1 Whatever the case, a reproduction military flag was created by the Clifden and Connemara Heritage Group in 1997.

Service as a military unit

Formation and early engagments

The men who would make up the core of the Saint Partrick's battalion were most likely present in the mexican army for the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.
They first fought as a recognised Mexican unit in the Battle of Monterrey (21 September 1846), as a battery of artillery commanded by Jon Riley(Juan Reley on Mexican army records). Sometimes spelled John Reily, Reilly, and O'Reilly, this Irish-born artilleryman, a veteran of the British Army or NCO in Canada, had joined the U.S. Army in Michigan in September 1845. He deserted in Matamoros in April 1846. Under Riley's leadership the San Patricios served with distinction. At the battle of Monterrey, the San Patricios proved their artillery skills by mowing down many american soldiers, and they are credited with defeating two separate assaults into the heart of the city. Their tenacity, however, did not prevent the defeat of the Mexican forces there.

Recruitment increases and Buena Vista

Following the engagement at Monterrey, the San Patricios grew in number, by some estimates reaching an enlistment of about 800 men. The U.S. army's conduct at the previous battle, which had included firing on people taking refuge in Catholic churches, resulted in more desertions from the U.S. army. Santa Anna even sent out notices encouraging catholic U.S. troops to desert the army and nation that had no respect for their religion. However not all new recruits were deserters but also Irish and other Europeans already living in Mexico. Forces re-assembled at San Luis Potosi and they had their distinct Green silk flag embroidered there. They then marched northwards after joining a larger force commanded by Antonio López de Santa Anna sent from Mexico City. At the Battle of Buena Vista(known as the battle of Angostura in Mexico) in Nuevo Leon on 23 February, the Patricios became engaged with US forces. They were assigned the three biggest cannons the Mexican army possesed, which were positioned on high ground over-looking the battlefield. They suffered numerous casualties, perhaps 1/3 of their total fighting force was killed due to american attempts to capture their cannons. Despite several costly attempts the americans were unable to achieve this, with the San Patricios even managing to counter attack and capture two american cannons. Several Irishmen were awarded the Cross of Honor by the Mexican government for their bravery in that battle, and many received field promotions.

Reorganisation and final battles

Despite their excellent performance in a number of engagements as artillery, the much reduced San Patricios were ordered to muster a larger infantry battalion in mid-1847 by personal order of Santa Anna, which was re-named the The Foreign Legion of Patricios consisting of many other European volunteers, commanded by Colonel Francisco R. Moreno, with Riley in charge of 1st company and Santiago O'Leary heading up the second.
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), the San Patricio Companies together with the Los Bravos Battalion occupied the parapets of the convento de Churubusco. Though hopelessly outnumbered, the defenders repelled the attacking US forces with heavy losses until their ammunition ran out, and a Mexican officer raised the white flag of surrender. Captain Patrick Dalton of the San Patricios tore the white flag down, prompting General Pedro Anaya to order his men to fight on with their bare hands if necessary. American Private Ballantine reported that when the Mexicans attempted to raise the white flag a further two more times, members of the San Patricios shot and killed them. General Anaya states in his written battle report that 35 San Patricios were killed, 85 taken prisoner (including a wounded Jon Riley) and about 85 more escaped with retreating Mexican forces. 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, as portrayed by Samuel Chamberlain, c1867.

Demise

Trials

The San Patricios captured by the U.S. Army suffered the punishment of traitors; they had been responsible for some of the toughest fighting (and the heaviest casualties) that the U.S. Army had faced, and Seventy-two of them were immediately charged with desertion from the U.S. army.

Two separate court-martials were held, one at Tacubaya on August 23, and another court at San Ángel on August 26. At the trials the men were not represented by lawyers; this lack of formal legal advice would account for why about half of the men claimed that drunkeness had led them to desert from the US army (a very common defense in military trials at the time that sometimes led to lighter sentances), and the rest claimed that they were forced to join the Mexican army in some form or another. Despite the latter defense being quite obviously untrue as many in the US forces had witnessed them fighting, as well as the fact the San Patricios had refused to surrender multiple times, it worked for one of them.

Sentences

It didnt do him much good however- he was sentenced to death by firing squad instead of death by hanging, along with another who was found to have never officially joined the Mexican army. The fate that awaited most of the captured San Patricios was death by hanging, thirty from the Tacubaya trial and twenty from San Ángel. The rational for this was that they had entered Mexican military service following the declaration of war. However this was in violation of the Articles of War for the time which clearly stipulated that the penalty for desertion and/or defecting to the enemy during a time of war was death by firing squad, regardless of the circumstances. In fact more than 10,000 U.S. soldiers deserted during the Mexican-American War, and only the San Patricios were punished in this way.

Those who had left military service before the official declaration of war on Mexico (Riley among them) on the other hand were sentenced to:

receive 50 lashes on their bare backs, to be branded with the letter "D" for deserter, and to wear iron yokes around their necks for the duration of the war.

Only two were found not guilty due to the fact they had never actually joined the U.S. army in the first place.

Executions

En masse hangings for treason took place on 10 september 1847 at San Ángel, and 13 September at the battle of Chapultepec. By order of General Winfield Scott, 30 San Patricios were to be executed in full view of the two armies as they fought the Battle of Chapultepec, at the precise moment that the flag of the United States replaced the flag of Mexico atop the citadel. This order was to be carried out by Colonel William Harney, an officer who had been twice disciplined for insubordination in his career, and would later go on to be court-martialed a further two more times. Ironically William Harney himself was of Irish catholic heritage. While overseeing the hangings, Harney ordered Francis O’Conner hung even though he had had both legs amputated the previous day. When the army surgeon informed the colonel that the absent soldier had lost both his legs in battle, Harney replied:

Bring the damned son of a bitch out! My order was to hang 30 and by God I’ll do it!

After much abuse of the prisoners, when the flag was run up the fortress' pole at 9.30am, the gallows were dropped.
Harney’s further violations of the Articles of War requiring prompt execution did not result in charges being brought against him.

Legacy

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. But even today, they are honored and revered in Mexico.

The Batallón de San Patricio is remembered on two separate days; the first being September 12, the allotted anniversary of the executions, and the other on Saint Patrick's Day. The San Patricios are also remembered with many schools, churches and other landmarks taking their name. The street in front of the Santa María de Churubusco convent was named Mártires Irlandeses (Irish martyrs).

In 1997, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo commemorated the 150th anniversary of the execution of the San Patricios at a ceremony in Mexico City's San Jacinto Plaza, where the first twenty hangings were staged. Both the republic of Ireland and Mexico jointly issued commemorative postage stamps to mark this anniversary.

File:Irish st Patricks battalion stamp.jpg

The Mexican version of the stamp looks virtually identical, apart from a few minor font differences.

In honor of Jon Riley the Mexican flag flies in the town center of Clifden, County Galway, where he was from.

Further reading

• Murray, Edmundo "The San Patricio Battalion: A Bibliography" in: Irish Migration Studies in Latin America 2006.
• 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," Potomac Books 2005. ISBN 1574881450

Music

• St Patrick's Battalion - by David Rovics
• San Patricio Brigade - by Black 47
• The San Patricios - by The Fenians
• The Men that God made Mad - by Niamh Parsons
• The EP "San Patricios" - by Chicano punk band Ollin

Films and Fiction

• 1996 - The San Patricios. Directed by Mark R. Day.
• 1999 - One Man's Hero. Directed by Lance Hool.
• 2001- Gone for Soldiers by Jeff Shaara
• 2006 - Saint Patrick's Battalion by James Alexander Thom

External links

• "Beneath an Emerald Green Flag: The Story of Irish Soldiers in Mexico", by Michael G. Connaughton
• "The St. Patricio Battalion: The Irish Soldiers of Mexico", by Jaime Fogarty
• The San Patricios: Mexico's Fighting Irish
• Dr Michael Hogan
• Texas Handbook Online
• The Irish Soldiers of Mexico
• The San Patricios

See also

• Battles of the Mexican-American War
• Mexican-American War
• Irish Brigade (French)
• Irish Brigade (US)
• One Man's Hero
• Irish Migration Studies in Latin America