Mexico has
historically
recruited foreigners
to fight in its
ranks since its War
of Independence.
Although authors
Miller and Stevens
seem to make much of
Mexico’s active
recruitment of
American soldiers
into the Mexican
lines, for Mexico
this was not
something new, it
was part of its war
tactics. Foreigners
have continuously
been welcomed into
the Mexican military
ranks. By the time
the U.S.-Mexican War
started, 16
foreigners had
reached the rank of
general in the
Mexican army with
many others serving
in other capacities.
11
Throughout the war,
Mexico actively
recruited American
soldiers to defect
their lines and join
the Mexican army.
The German immigrant
Zeh, serving in the
US Army acknowledges
in his memoirs that
the Mexicans
routinely passed out
pamphlets directed
at the American
immigrant soldiers
printed in German,
English and French.
According to Zeh,
the pamphlets read;
“We live in peace
and friendship with
nations you come
from. Why do you
want to fight
against us? Come to
us! We will welcome
you as friends with
open arms, take care
of your needs, we
offer you more than
the Yankees can
provide, due to
their brazenness, we
(sic) have been
forced into this
war. Join us and
fight with us for
our rights and for
our sacred religion
against this infidel
enemy”. Zeh adds,
“Several hundred
Irishmen, stirred up
by religious
fanaticism, went
over to the enemy,
thanks to this piece
of paper.” 12
To the Irish, the
call for defending
the motherland
against invaders
resonated among them
as they remembered
the Penal Times in
their history. [1]
They embraced the
Mexican position
that simple farmers
were being attacked
for their land and
decided to join the
Mexican ranks.
13
