Decades before America experienced the devastation of the Civil War, the young nation was involved in an international conflict just below its southern border. In 1845 the United States annexed Texas from Mexico because American citizens living in Texas were challenging Mexican laws with slave ownership. Along with what Mexico perceived as an injustice, there was a dispute over the new borderline: the Nueces River or the Rio Grande. Mexico immediately severed relations with the United States. U.S. President James K. Polk secretly sent a representative to Mexico but Mexican President Jose Joaquin Herrera refused to receive the representative. When Polk learned of the rebuff, he sent troops into the disputed area. Shortly after Congress unanimously approved the declaration of war against Mexico. When news of the war reached those living in the United States, men signed up in droves, including the newly arrived Irish immigrants who had just escaped the Great Irish Famine.
Military life during this time was extremely brutal and the life-long Catholic immigrants were unable to practice their faith freely while serving amongst the Protestant-influenced ranks. During the two year conflict, an estimated 200 Irish immigrants deserted the U.S. military and eventually joined the Mexican army. The newly enlisted soldiers rallied support for one another and their religious freedoms in Mexico, though Mexico was primarily a Catholic nation at the time. Referred to as "los san patricios" (St. Patricks) or "los colorados valientes" (The Brave Red Ones), the Irish men were assigned to the "Batallon de San Patricio" or Saint Patrick's Battalion under Brevet Major John Riley and Captain Santiago O'Leary. Historians also note that the Irish soldiers were not only drawn to Mexico for religious reason but were also influenced by the incentives offered by the Mexican government, such as life-long safe passage through Mexico, land, and military commissions.
Once the U.S. army reached Mexico City, Mexico surrendered to U.S. demands. As the United States withdrew its military control over Mexico, seventy-two members of the San Patricios were captured, charged with treason, and most were sentenced to death. Most former San Patricios stayed in Mexico, marrying into Mexican families, though some returned to Ireland. The descendants of those San Patricios that stayed behind can be found throughout Texas and the Mexican State of Chihuahua.
To date, monuments to the San Patricios that can be found in Mexico and Texas. In fact The Sons of San Patricio, or San Patricio de Hibernia, Monument was erected in 1937 in San Patricio, Texas and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The San Patricios are remembered in celebrations and parades in Mexico on Saint Patrick's Day every year.
Make History Come Alive and visit the memorials:
Heroic Saint Patrick's Battalion Monument - City of Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
Saint Patrick's Battalion Plaza - Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico
Saint Patrick's Battalion Monument - Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico
Sons of San Patricio Monument - Old San Patricio Cemetery, San Patricio, Texas
