It can be argued
that the defense of
your homeland is a
duty all citizens
must obey when an
invading army
threatens to destroy
your country. Many
heroes have emerged
from the defense of
their nations. No
truer hero exists
than those who give
their lives for
their adopted
nation.
Authors Miller and
Stevens have made
central to their
position that the
San Patricios
deserved what
punishment they
received by the fact
that they had
deserted. They have
pointed to the
records of the Court
Martial’s, provided
by the American
government, where
the defense for some
of the
San Patricios
was “drunkenness”.
Thirty-seven had
pleaded not guilty
and twenty-seven had
pleaded drunkenness.
Both authors seem to
imply that the
San Patricios
did not abandon the
American lines for
religious or
discrimination
reasons because none
relied on religion
or maltreatment as a
defense.
Author, Wynn points
out in his
dissertation the
futility of offering
abuse or religion as
a defense under the
Articles of War
during that time.
Wynn goes on to
point out that
because of the
trouble the American
army had in keeping
its soldiers in
their ranks, they
had instituted a
general order
whereby drunken AWOL
soldiers were
allowed back into
their units with
minor punishment.
42 The
San Patricios’
probably chose to
mount a defense
against the
hangmen’s noose the
best way possible
under the conditions
of the time. Knowing
the futility of
maltreatment as a
defense they chose
drunkenness.
Part of the reason
for the lack of more
concrete information
regarding the
San Patricios
and the distortion
of their reasons for
disserting the
American army may
lie in that the
whole affair was an
embarrassment to the
United States.
Continued Catholic
persecution in the
United States after
the war may have
also contributed to
the distorted
record. “Some
newspapers in San
Francisco cite that
affair to prove that
Catholics are
disloyal,” wrote a
private citizen in a
letter to the
Assistant Adjutant
General in 1896
requesting
information on the
San Patricios.
43
Because of
sentiments against
Catholicism and the
harsh treatment by
American forces of
the
San Patricios,
the American Army
seemed reluctant to
discuss the affair
publically. In 1915,
the American War
Department was
finally forced to
acknowledge the
existence of the
San Patricios
and their treatment
of them at the end
of the war. Ordered
by Congress in 1917
to turn over the
records to the
National Archives
the army complied.
The documents
detailed one of the
most embarrassing
episodes for the
American Army.
44 For the San
Patricios, their
story could finally
be told truthfully
for all to know what
was true in their
hearts.
After leaving
prison, the
remaining
San Patricios
rejoined the Mexican
Army and continued
to function as a
unit for almost a
year after the
Americans left
Mexico. 45
Riley was made
commander of the two
infantry companies
with the brevet rank
of Lieutenant
Colonel, (2)
although he was
actually a Captain.
One unit was tasked
with sentry duty in
Mexico City while
the other was
stationed in the
suburbs of Guadalupe
Hidalgo. 46
By late 1850, 20 of
the original
San Patricios
left Mexico and
returned to Ireland
under the agreement
Mexico had made with
them when they
enlisted to help
them return should
they choose to do
so. 47
Riley was not among
them.
