A historical footnote for St. Patrick's Day

A little known aspect of the war between the United States and Mexico (1846-1848) is the story of the St. Patrick's Battalion.  This group of soldiers, which may have numbered at several hundred, was made up of deserters from the U.S. army, who switched sides and fought with the Mexicans.

The largest portion of the battalion were Irish immigrants, although there were soldiers of other nationalities.  Most of them were Catholic, and very few of them were naturalized United States citizens.  They had been recruited into the U.S. army, but because of the discrimination and hatred toward Irish immigrants, and prejudice against Catholics in general, these soldiers felt more sympathy with the cause of the Catholic nation of Mexico.  The Mexican army offered them higher pay, citizenship, and land grants. 

The "Batallón de San Patricio" fought bravely in numerous battles and suffered heavy losses. Its members won a number of Mexican military medals. Among the battles in which they served were the Battle of Buenavista and the Battle of Churubusco.  The Convent of Churubusco, located at that time on the outskirts of Mexico City, was the site of one of the final battles of the war as the Mexican army tried to halt the advance of the Americans toward the capital.  It is said that the Mexicans had raised a white flag of surrender, but the "San Patricios" tore up the flag, and convinced the Mexican commander, General Anaya, to continue fighting.

By the war's end, a short time later, those "San Patricios" who had been captured by the U.S. army were court martialed.  Those who had defected before the declaration of war against Mexico, were whipped and branded.  Those who had switched after the war commenced, were found guilty of desertion and sentenced to death by hanging.  (It is interesting to note that this was a violation of the army's own articles of war.  Deserters were to be executed before a firing squad; hanging was reserved for spies and those who committed civilian atrocities.)

Fifty "San Patricios" were hung... sixteen at the Plaza de San Jacinto in San Angel (today a neighborhood of Mexico City), four in the village of Mixcoac, and thirty at Chapultepec Castle (see earlier post on Chapultepec Castle's history).  Those executed at Chapultepec were to be hung as the Mexican flag was lowered and the American flag raised.  According to accounts, the "San Patricios", defiant to the end, cheered the Mexican flag.

The soldiers who escaped and survived the war for the most part disappeared from history.  There are a few records of "San Patricios" taking advantage of the promised land grants.

The battalion is today remembered with this plaque on the Plaza de San Jacinto, where some of them were executed.

 

The inscription reads, "In memory of the Irish soldiers of the heroic Saint Patrick's Battalion, martyrs who gave their lives for the cause of Mexico during the unjust North American invasion of 1847".