Each Saint Patrick’s Day in Mexico, we celebrate the Irish-Mexican connection: the story of the Soldiers of St. Patrick, or “Los San Patricios.”
When the United States invaded Mexico in 1846 to expand its territory under the banner of Manifest Destiny, many saw it as a reckless and unprovoked action. Among those who objected were Abraham Lincoln, then a congressman, and Ulysses S. Grant, an army officer, both of whom called it “the most unjust war ever waged by a stronger nation against a weaker.”
Among those who opposed the war were a group of mostly Irish volunteers who deserted the U.S. Army and enlisted in the Mexican Army. They formed an artillery battalion of more than 200 men, flying a green battle flag emblazoned with the Mexican eagle and cactus on one side and “Erin Go Bragh” (Ireland Forever) on the other. Mostly Catholic and recent immigrants, they were joined by a few Germans and Scots and fought in all the major battles of the war. The Mexican government commended them for their bravery, and they were mentioned in official dispatches. At the war’s end, however, 50 of them —including their leader John Riley — were executed by the Americans for treason, while others were whipped and branded with a “D” for deserter.
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