September 12th - Remember the San Patricios

[Lordinajamjar]

Mexican government pays tribute every year to the soldiers of the San Patricio Battalion who were tortured and hanged at the San Jacinto Plaza, San Ángel, in 1847 For helping Mexico.
Irish Soldiers of Mexico

One hundred and fifty years ago, here in San Ángel, … members of the St. Patricks Battalion were executed for following their consciences. They were martyred for adhering to the highest ideals, and today we honor their memory. In the name of the people of Mexico, I salute today the people of Ireland and express my eternal gratitude.”
The president concluded, saying: “While we honor the memory of the Irish who gave their lives for Mexico and for human dignity, we also honor our own commitment to cherish their ideals, and to always defend the values for which they occupy a place of honor in our history.”

Deltail of a painting by Don Troiani showing the fierce resistance of the last San Patricio standing at the convent at Churubusco

[parkman]

Nicely done Lordinajamjar.
Im sure there are many other half forgotten Irish units such as the unit which fought for the Pope and Napoleons Irish Legion or Stepletons Irish Picket who stood and covered the highlanders retreat at Culoden. Any others?

[yooklid]

Traitors.

[Goldie fish]

Traitors.

Explain?
Traitors to who?

[Lordinajamjar]

By the 1840s a significant proportion of the enlisted men in the United States Army were Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Germany. The Mexican government, aware of prejudice against immigrants to the United States, started a campaign after the Mexican War broke out to win the foreigners and Catholics to its cause. The Mexicans urged English and Irish alike to throw off the burden of fighting for the "Protestant tyrants" and join the Mexicans in driving the Yankees out of Mexico. Mexican propaganda insinuated that the United States intended to destroy Catholicism in Mexico, and if Catholic soldiers fought on the side of the Americans, they would be warring against their own religion. Using this approach, the Mexicans hoped to gain 3,000 soldiers from the United States Army. In November 1846 Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna organized American deserters with other foreigners in Mexico to form the San Patricio Battalion, or St. Patrick's Company, a name it probably received from its Irish-American leader, John Riley formerly a member of Company K of the Fifth United States Infantry. The company saw action at Monterrey, again near Saltillo, and at Buena Vista, each time receiving praise for its thorough job. The most important conflict came at the battle of Churubusco in August 1847.

By July 1, 1847, Santa Anna gathered enough deserters and foreigners to organize two San Patricio battalions of 100 men each. As American forces rapidly approached Mexico City,. Santa Anna divided his forces into three armies to guard several entrances to the city. One of these, commanded by Gen. Gabriel Valencia, was surprised by the Americans at Contreras and defeated. Santa Anna then decided to concentrate his forces at Churubusco, where there was a forfified bridgehead and a Franciscan convent. He stationed the San Patricio companies with a battery of five cannons on the bridge. The American forces advanced from the south and the west covering one side of the fort. Although they suffered heavy casualties, the American continued to advance. Suddenly they noticed a drop in gun fire as they made their cautious approach. With his supplies running low, Santa Anna now ordered one company of San Patricios into the fort along with another infantry company and a wagon of ammunition. The cartridges in the wagon, however, were the wrong caliber for all the weapons except those used by the San Patricios. From inside the fort the San Patricios manned three of the seven cannons. (Later some said that their gunfire was aimed at former officers.) The Americans continued to press on, forcing the second company of San Patriclos and other Mexican soldiers into the convent. Reportedly, Mexican soldiers inside the convent tried three times to raise the white flag, but the San Patricios, desperate because of their fate if captured, tore it down. At last Capt. James M. Smith of the Third Infantry entered and put his own handkerchief on the pole. Once back with the United States Army, the San Patricio company did not fare well. Gen. W'mfield Scott issued General Orders 259 and 263 establishing two courts martial for seventy-two deserters. Col. John Garland convened the first court martial on August 23, 1847, in Tacubaya. Col. Bennet Riley, an Irish Catholic officer, convened the second court martial at San Angel on August 26. Only two defendants did not receive the death sentence, one excused because of improper enlistment in the United States Army, the other because he was deemed insane.

When General Scott received the verdicts for approval, the Mexican people faced him with cries of outrage at the treatment of their soldiers. After considering appeals from the archbishop of Mexico, the British minister to Mexico, and a number of foreign citizens resident in Mexico City (including United States citizens), Scott reevaluated the courts martial giving close attention to the Articles of War. Scott issued General Order 281 on September 8, 1847, and out of the twenty-nine men tried at San Angel, twenty received the death sentence. John Riley, the leader, technically deserted before the war between Mexico and the United States was declared, so he could not be hanged. He received fifty lashes and the letter "D" branded on his cheek. Scott issued General Order 283 several days later concerning the trials at Tacubaya, confirming the death sentence for thirty San Patiicios, and allowing the same considerations he had with the group before.

Several of the men received pardon due to their relatively young age; and one man was pardoned because he was not a willing deserter, but had been kidnapped by the Mexicans while he was drunk. Sentences for the men tried at San Angel were carried out in that village on September 10; sentences from Tacubaya were executed in the village of Mixcoac on September 13. The latter sentences were carried out under the command of Col. William S. Harney, who had the condemned men fitted with nooses at daybreak and then left them standing on the gallows while the battle for Chapultepec Castle raged nearby. The men were to be hanged when the United States flag was raised over the castle; United States troops took Chapultepec several hours later, at 9:30 a.m. The sentences imposed on the San Patricios outraged the Mexican public. In Toluca Mexican authorities prevented rioters from trying to retaliate against American prisoners of war.

This did not end the story of the San Patricios. Mexico continued its dubious recruitment of deserters and by March of 1848 had found enough original San Patricios and new deserters to form two more companies. Mexico did not forget its San Patricios still held by American authorities and continued bargaining for their release. However, it wasn't until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, and the war ended, that the fourteen remaining prisoners were released. The San Patricios continued as a group, providing support by patrolling areas of Mexico to protect the people from bandits and Indians. They later became involved in revolts within Mexico until a presidential order of General Herrera stopped them. Under the order, Riley was arrested for suspicion of a plot to kidnap President Jose Joaquin de Herrera, and the San Patricios were recalled to Mexico City where the government could monitor their actions. Herrera, in order to end the problems with the San Patricios and dispel any further crises as well as to cut the postwar budget, dissolved the company in 1848, a -short time after it received its last military expenditure in August. While some members of the San Patricio company petitioned the government of Mexico for help in returning to their European homelands, most remained in Mexico as they could not return to the United States.

See http://home.swbell.net/lpkelley/ICS/...battalion.html

[yellowjacket]

Traitors.

I'm sure the British felt the same about Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy, Emmet Dalton and the like.

[yooklid]

Explain?
Traitors to who?

I'm pretty sure tha tthey swore oaths to the Union. By taking up arms against it.....

[ODIN]

There was a very good film made on this subject a few years ago. The conditions for catholics in the union army were very poor.

[Bravo20]

There actually was an old film starring Charleton Heston

[ex pat 007]

Mrs Pat got me a very good book on the subject a few years ago , the treatment metted out to Irish/Catholics in the US Army was so bad I certainly cannot blame them for their actions.

[Lordinajamjar]

There actually was an old film starring Charleton Heston

Are you sure that you are not confusing this with "Major Dundee" http://charltonhestonworld.homestead...jorDundee.html

In 1999 the movie "One Man's Hero" starring Tom Berenger was released. http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/reviews/1800

Books:

1. The Rogue's March by F. Stevens
2. Molly Malone & the San Patricios by Michael Hogan
3. The San Patricio Battalion in the Mexican War G.T. Hopkins
4. The Irish Soldiers of Mexico by Michael Hogan

How's this for timing. Right now there is a rare medal on sale on E-bay produced by Mexico in 1960 commemorating the San Patricos. Go for it Yooklid. http://cgi.ebay.com/MEDAL-BATTLE-OF-...QQcmdZViewItem

[yooklid]

How's this for timing. Right now there is a rare medal on sale on E-bay produced by Mexico in 1960 commemorating the San Patricos. Go for it Yooklid. http://cgi.ebay.com/MEDAL-BATTLE-OF-...QQcmdZViewItem

Moi? I still haven't run my challenge coin competition yet...

[Gasplug]

Found this on youtube...

[ZULU]

My Niece's Uncle, Greg Fitzgearld played Paddy Noonan in the film

[flash bang]

what was the name of that movie?