Texas was the source of trouble between the two countries. The Mexican Army invaded Texas defeating them at the Alamo and Goliad in 1835. 342 Texans 'pirates' were executed by General Lopez de Santa Anna. A revitalised Texan force defeated the Mexican Army and captured General Lopez de Santa Anna at San Jacinto in April 1836, who, under duress, signed the Treaty of Velasco granting Texan independence.
War Between the US and Mexico
There were border incursions between Texas and Mexico during the 1830s leading to an armistice signed in 1844. This same year, President James K. Polk was elected firmly committed to the accession of Texas and a continental US stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts.
The new Mexican President, Jose Herrera was less confrontational towards the US, who saw this as a sign of weakness. Herrera's government collapsed. General Mariano Paredes' government declared the Americans as aggressors.
Clifden Co Galwayman, John Riley joined the US Army
John Riley joined the British Army, served with the Connaught Rangers in India and left as a Sergeant, in 1843. In September 1845 Riley (also spelt Reilly/Reily) joined the US Army near Detroit, Michigan. By October 1845, Riley's 5th Regiment was with General Taylor's force of 3,900 men at Corpus Christi, 25% of whom were Irish.
American born West Point, Officers singled out Catholic Irish and German soldiers for cruel and disproportionate punishments. America's militant Protestantism was anti-Catholic, fully disparaging the Catholic Mexicans and despising the Catholic immigrants entering the United States. Ulysses S. Grant warned General Taylor of the repressive punishments within his army and of the dire consequences.
In March 1846 Riley with Taylor's Army entered disputed Mexican territory opposite Matamoros City. Mexican pamphlets encouraged Irish, Germans, French and Polish to join the Mexican Army. Taylor's troops deserted in large numbers to the Mexican Army. On 4 April Riley deserted.
The War Begins
On 12 April, Riley met Mexican General de Ampudia. On 24 April sixteen US soldiers were killed, allowing President Polk to claim he was the wounded party, even though his troops were on Mexican territory. On 3 May, Captain Riley, placed in command of an artillery battery, commenced a seven day barrage of US positions across the River Grande from Matamoros. Superior numbers forced the Mexicans to retreat.
The US invaded the Mexican state of California. On 20 September the US Army arrived at Monterrey with 6,200 men. Captain Riley fired his artillery with deadly effect, killing and wounding 400 Americans. The Americans entered the city, shooting down many civilians. Captain Riley retreated to the plaza with his artillery. General Taylor allowed General de Ampudia, under a truce, to leave with weapons. Captain Riley in his Mexican Army officers uniform was subjected to shameful abuse.
General Lopez de Santa Anna returned from Cuban exile to take charge of the Mexican army, ensuring the US deserters played a key role. He knew their military experience was invaluable. Captain Riley named his battalion the San Patricios, after St. Patrick. Riley trained his battalion during the winter of 1846. The US Army suffered mass desertions.
The Battle of Buena Vista
General Lopez de Santa Anna rushed his army northwards to attack General Taylor's weaker force of 4,700 men with a strong 15,000 Mexican force. Captain Riley's 24 and 16 pounder artillery pieces decimated the American 2nd Indiana Volunteers. A cavalry charge to take Captain Riley's position was repulsed with heavy losses. Casualties were heavy, yet, the US held fast and the Mexican Army retreated. Mexican civilans were brutally attacked by the US Army. Mexican irregulars retaliated, in like manner, on the US Army columns advanced south. In the spring of 1847 northern Mexico was in chaos.
Generals Taylor and Scott link up
General Scott landed with 9,000 troops at Veracruz. There were 3,000 Irish in Scott's Army. Scott moved towards Mexico City in April 1847. General Lopez de Santa Anna marched to Cerro Gordo with 12,000 men to halt Scott. Robert E. Lee scouted a way around the Mexican Army. On 17 April General Twiggs displaced a Mexican force fom La Atalaya hilltop to El Telegrafo hilltop, but were pinned down by Captain Riley's effective artillery fire. Fire from Al Atalaya, in turn, killed many Mexicans causing a rout with Captain Riley abandoning his guns.
The Last Stand of the San Patricios
The San Patricios felt the loss of their 24 pounders at Cerro Gordo. The last village before Mexico City, Churubusco, (the place of War God, Aztec) consisted of a walled Franciscan monastery. There were 200 San Patricios with 4,000 Mexican Army soldiers. Captain Riley waited until the Americans were within 50 metres of the wall to fire their 8 pounders and killed dozens of men with precision firing. A duel with the American 1st Artillery followed.
The Mexican Army ran short of ammunition. The Americans rushed the village. The fighting in the narrow streets trapped many Mexicans and San Patricios of whom 85 were captured.
Trial, Court Martial and Execution
During the final battles of the war around Mexico City, the San Patricios were put on trial. Some San Patricios born in Ireland were Mexican citizens and two of them testified against the San Patricios. Riley was portrayed as the leader of the San Patricios and was sentenced to death by hanging. General Winfield Scott intervened. Riley had deserted the US Army before the war started and so escaped the death sentence. Fifty San Patricios were sentenced to death, 25 Irish 8 Germans, 7 Americans, 4 Scots, 1 Englishman, 1 Canadian, 1 Frenchman and 1 Italian.
16 San Patricios were hanged on 10 September with 23 San Patricio prisoners flogged and branded on the face. American Officers observing were appalled at this medieval cruelty.
Four more San Patricios were hanged on 11 September and thirty on 12 September overseen by an American Officer, William Harney a sadist. Harney was short one San Patricio, so he took Francis O'Connor from Cork, who had lost both legs at Churubusco, from the hospital and waited four hours until the Americans took nearby Chapultepec fortress. The hanged men gave a resounding cheer as they died. Harney branded and whipped eight more San Patricios and was promoted to Brigadier General.
The Aftermath
The Mexican-American War was unpopular. The US was accused of launching a war of conquest against Mexico. Public figures like Abraham Lincoln opposed the war. Many common soldiers held similar views. The US suffered the highest desertion rate during this war, double the desertion rate of the Vietnam war. Riley believed the invasion of Mexico was unjust.
The Irish fought well with General George McLellan, a future Civil War General, admitting he profoundly changed his attitude towards the Irish during this war.
The San Patricios disappeared from history. History was written by victorious White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men. Riley was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the reconstituted San Patricios battalion in June 1848 probably dying of yellow fever in 1850 in Veracruz.
Sources
- Shamrock and Sword by Robert Miller, University of Oklahoma Press, 1989
- The Irish Soldiers of Mexico by Michael Hogan, Carballo Villasenor Emmanuel Carlos, 1998
- The Rogue's March by Peter Stevens Potomac Books, 2005
- www.pbs.org
- History Mexican American War
- One Man's Hero a film about the San Patricios 1999
Michael Manning - ' The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity' W.B.Yeats
