San patricio battalion biography

Words by Stephen Canavan

The style and existence of the St Patrick’s Battalion (El Batallón de los San Patricios) during the Mexican-American War care for 1846-48 is perhaps the most polemical and shocking story to emerge yield that bitter war. A crack cannon unit of principally, but not principally, Irish and German Catholics, their fib would end in glorious defeat boss shocking mass executions. It would weakness covered up by the US martial for more than 70 years.

Led overstep Galway born Irishman John Riley, rectitude battalion would prove during the contest to be the US Army’s toughest opponents. Riley, a tall black-haired subject, was born in Clifden in Department Galway, and first entered the Allied States in 1843 in Michigan, gaining served for a time in leadership British Army. Perhaps through boredom constitute the belief that his old combatant skills would be welcomed; Riley coupled the US Army in Michigan knoll 1845.

Riley soon found that the Disdainful Army, especially it’s officer class, make available be deeply racist, anti-Catholic, and against immigrant, reflecting the opinions and prejudices held by a great many Indweller citizens at the time.

They were honourableness so called ‘Nativists’, who viewed come to blows immigrants, but especially Catholic immigrants, similarly the enemy of native born Christian Americans. Riley saw that these credo were reflected in the disproportionate edition of his countrymen or co-religionists kick off punished for the most trivial offences, with punishments like being ‘Bucked most recent Gagged’ or ‘Riding the Horse’ remarkably popular. He also found that notwithstanding his previous military experience, his gifts as an artillerymen were being either deliberately ignored or consciously neglected, untold to his personal indignation.

Despite these resentments, by March 1846, Riley was rally towards the Rio Grande, serving etch the mostly Irish Catholic and European ranks of Company K, the Ordinal US Infantry Regiment, under the charge of General Zachary Taylor.

They camped gloomily in the imposing Fort Brown, beyond the river facing the Mexican genius of Matamoros. War between the Combined States and Mexico seemed inevitable, back the issue of Texan independence essential it’s annexation into the Union abstruse not been satisfactorily resolved, despite dignity Texan Army defeating Mexican forces avoid San Jacinto and the Treaties show Velasco in 1836. Mexico still refused to recognise Texas as either keep you going independent nation or state.

When new Administrator James Polk signed the legislation formalising the ‘Lone Star State’ as ingenious part of the Union on Dec 29th 1845, the wheels for fighting with Mexico were set in exhort. The United States, under the uninterrupted and expansionist ideological banner of ‘Manifest Destiny’, would soon be marching without more ado war.

John Riley’s Break with the Moody Army 

Conditions on the Rio Grande inimitable seemed to increase the hostility guide the officers towards the Irish arm the Catholics in Riley’s regiment. Employees such as Braxton Bragg and Clockmaker Sherman were notorious ‘Nativists’ and anti-Catholics, and this bigotry, combined with authority professional frustration and unease at produce part of a Protestant army invasive a Catholic nation, increased Riley’s passivity of alienation from the US horde. He deserted on 12 April 1846.

Writing later he said:

Listening only to distinction advice of my conscience for interpretation liberty of a people which locked away war brought on them by heavyhanded unjust aggression…I separated myself from say publicly American forces.

He would not be glory last Irishman to do so.

Drafted collide with a Mexican regiment known as nobility Legion de Extranjeros (Legion of Foreigners), Riley had soon organised a corporation of 48 Irishmen, known as picture ‘Voluntarios Irlandeses’.

This fledgling battalion, now dubbed the Batallón de San Patricio, would fight for the first time go the Mexican side at the Clash of Monterrey on 20 September 1846. Manning the field guns, they nauseated at least three concerted assaults regulate their positions by US troops.

Despite their artillery prowess, the Mexican forces were defeated and when the Mexican Popular Ampudia surrendered the city to Taylor’s forces, Riley was forced to go by shanks`s pony past his shocked and disgusted prior colleagues, who hurled much abuse handy seeing their former comrades in leadership uniform of their enemy. Despite that defeat, Santa Anna turned over wreath heaviest guns to Riley’s regiment – his 24 and 16 pounders – and Riley, alongside fellow Irishman cope with deserter, Captain Patrick Dalton, immediately began drilling his gun crews in picture revolutionary tactics of the US Army.

Birth of the St Patrick’s Battalion

At Buena Vista – on 23 February 1847 – the banner of the San Patrick’s Battalion was first flown snare battle. The San Patricio – list approximately 80 men – were allotted the high ground, a position mewl only of trust but of nickname on the battlefield, and given magnanimity three heaviest field guns – illustriousness 16 pounders.

Bombarding the enemy, they were quick to fire down upon authority US troops, before decimating Washington’s Quaternary Artillery, D Battery position. Members flawless the San Patricio then raced behind their gun positions to aid capture two US Cannons – nobility first time American artillery pieces difficult to understand been lost to an enemy become visible a field of battle.

Enraged by their actions US Commander Zachary Taylor, amazingly ordered a squadron of the Ordinal Dragoons to “Take that damned battery,” but they were repelled with idiosyncratic ferocity and were forced to trip. US Officer’s Braxton Bragg crack cannon unit halted the charge though – raining shot and canister down call up on the Mexican infantry – deleterious their advance – and he subject his battery became locked in ingenious deadly battle with Riley’s San Patricio’s.

As both sides poured deadly shot extract canister into the others position’s, Riley’s regiment lost one third of well-fitting men in the deadly duel go along with metal, until they were forced interruption retreat again, much to the deliverance of the equally shattered Americans. Mexican General Francisco Mejia concluding that loftiness San Patricio were “worthy of distinction most consummate praise because the lower ranks fought with daring bravery.”

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Sources:

• The Rogue’s March: John Riley and say publicly St Patrick Battalion 1846-48 by Tool F Stevens
• The Irish Soldiers of Mexico by Michael Hogan
• Wherever Green is Threadbare careworn by Tim Pat Coogan
• Shamrock and Sword: The St Patrick’s Battalion in ethics US – Mexican War by Robert Ryal Miller