"About the San Patricio Battalion" Topic
7 Posts
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| Tango01 | 30 Oct 2018 4:12 p.m. PST |
"SAN PATRICIO BATTALION. 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 López 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…."
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Armand |
| Major General Stanley | 30 Oct 2018 6:57 p.m. PST |
The Mexican Government put a memorial to them, but not one of them ever received the bounty the Mexican government had promised them. IIRC most of them were under threat of punishment when they deserted. John Riley had also previously deserted from the British army: The US got what they paid for. |
 miniMo  | 30 Oct 2018 7:31 p.m. PST |
ˇVivan los San Patricios! |
| jedburgh | 30 Oct 2018 8:05 p.m. PST |
Ry Cooder and the Chieftans released an album about them a few years ago. link |
| 21eRegt | 30 Oct 2018 9:05 p.m. PST |
And a pretty good movie called "One Man's Hero" with Tom Berenger. Can't say whether it was completely accurate but it was entertaining and informative to me. |
| Old Wolfman | 31 Oct 2018 6:37 a.m. PST |
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| Tango01 | 31 Oct 2018 11:31 a.m. PST |
Agree… it was a good movie…. Amicalement
Armand |
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