Did you know there was a unit of American soldiers who fought against the US in one of its wars? That unit was the Saint Patrick’s Battalion in the Mexican War. In 1846, the US declared war on Mexico after a border dispute in Texas. Pres. James K. Polk sent an army to the Rio Grande River to provoke Mexico. Mission accomplished. However, not everyone in the army was happy with fighting for their adopted country. Some of the soldiers were Catholic immigrants. This was a time in American History when there was a lot of persecution of Catholics. Mexico was a Catholic country and dictator Santa Anna enticed American Catholic soldiers to come over to his side. They were promised citizenship and land. One of the first to cross the Rio Grande was John Riley. He became the leader of an artillery battalion that became known as El Battalion de San Patricio. He was joined by hundreds of deserters, mostly Irish. The unit was the best artillery unit in the Mexican army. It fought in most of the major battles in the war. It dueled with American batteries at the Battle of Buena Vista and covered the Mexican retreat. They became heroes to the Mexicans and villains to Americans. It came to an end at the Battle of Churubusco on August 20, 1847. Although the battalion fought well, it was a defeat for the Mexicans and most of the San Patricios were captured. They were given trials with no defense and were quickly condemned to execution. 30 of them were scheduled for a showy execution. They were placed on gallows where they could witness the fall of Chapultepec Castle. When the American flag was raised over the castle, the men were hung. Ironically, John Riley was not one of them due to a technicality. He had deserted before the US declared war. The Saint Patrick’s Battalion is still remembered fondly in Mexico. On St. Patrick’s Day, parades commemorate it. There is a plaque to the “martyrs” in Mexico City and a bust of John Riley.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Battalion
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