| Saint Patrick's Battalion | |
|---|---|
 Reconstruction of the battalion's flag as described by John Riley. | |
| Active | 1846–1848 |
| Allegiance |  Mexico |
| Branch | Mexican Army |
| Type | Artillery/Infantry |
| Size | c. 700 (at maximum strength) |
| Nicknames | Los San Patricios Los Colorados Valientes |
| Patron | Saint Patrick |
| Motto | Erin go bragh |
| Colors | Turkish Blue Sky Blue Crimson Yellow[a] |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Francisco R. Moreno |
| Notable commanders | BrevetMajorJohn Riley[b] Captain Santiago O'Leary Captain Patrick Dalton Sergeant Francis O'Connor |
TheSaint Patrick's Battalion (Spanish:Batallón de San Patricio), later reorganized as theForeign Legion of Patricios, was aMexican Army unit which fought against theUnited States in theMexican–American War. Consisting of several hundred mostly Irish and other Catholic Europeanexpatriates andimmigrants, including numerous men who haddeserted ordefected from theUnited States Army, the battalion was formed and led by IrishmanJohn Riley. It served as an artillery unit for much of the war, and despite later being formally designated as an infantry unit of twocompanies, the battalion continued to operate artillery pieces throughout the conflict. TheSan Patricios participated in many of the bloodiest battles during the American invasion of Mexico, withUlysses S. Grant remarking that "Churubusco proved to be about the severest battle fought in thevalley of Mexico".[1]
Composed primarily ofIrish immigrants, the battalion also includedGerman,Canadian,English,French,Italian,Polish,Scottish,Spanish,Swiss andMexican soldiers, most of whom wereCatholic.[2] Severalnative-born Americans were in the ranks, includingfugitive slaves from theSouthern United States.[3] Only a few members of the battalion wereU.S. citizens.[citation needed] The Mexican government printed propaganda in different languages to entice immigrants serving in theUnited States Army to switch sides and offered incentives to foreigners who would enlist in its army, including being granted citizenship, being paid higher wages and generousland grants. U.S. Army regiments which had members defect included the1st Artillery, the2nd Artillery, the3rd Artillery, the4th Artillery, the2nd Dragoons, the2nd Infantry, the3rd Infantry, the4th Infantry, the5th Infantry, the6th Infantry, the7th Infantry and the8th Infantry.[4] TheSan Patricios are honored by Mexican and Irish people.[5]
For those Mexicans who had fought in theMexican–American War and for generations to come after, theSan Patricios were heroes who came to their aid in an hour of need. For Americans, theSan Patricios were traitors, fighting in an unjust attempt by Mexico to reconquer Texas.[6] Successive Mexican presidents have praised theSan Patricios;Vicente Fox Quesada stated that, "The affinities between Ireland and Mexico go back to the first years of our nation, when our country fought to preserve its national sovereignty... Then, a brave group of Irish soldiers... in a heroic gesture, decided to fight against the foreign ground invasion",[7] and Mexican presidentErnesto Zedillo stated "Members of the St. Patrick's Battalion were executed for following their consciences. They were martyred for adhering to the highest ideals... we honor their memory. In the name of the people of Mexico, I salute today the people of Ireland and express my eternal gratitude".[8]
The great majority of those men who formed Saint Patrick's Battalion were recent immigrants who had arrived at northeastern U.S. ports. They were part of theIrish diaspora then escaping theGreat Irish Famine and extremely poor economic conditions inIreland, which was at the time part of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.[9] The U.S. Army often recruited the Irish and other immigrants into military service shortly or sometimes immediately after arrival in America incoffin ships with promises of salaries and land after the war.[citation needed]
Numerous theories have been proposed as to their motives for desertion, including cultural alienation,[10][11] mistreatment ofimmigrant soldiers bynativist soldiers and senior officers,[12][11] brutal military discipline and dislike of service in the U.S. military,[11] being forced to attend Protestant church services and being unable to practice theirCatholic religion freely[13] as well as religious ideological convictions,[14][11][15] the incentive of higher wages and land grants starting at 320 acres (1.3 km2) offered by Mexico,[16][11] and viewing the U.S. invasion of Mexico as unjust.[13][17]
It is believed primary motivations were shared religion with the Mexicans and sympathy for the Mexican cause based on similarities between the situations in Mexico and Ireland. This hypothesis is based on evidence of the number of Irish Catholics in the battalion, the letters ofJohn Riley, and the field entries of senior officers.[18][19] Irish immigrants had been faced with animosity both as a result of theirCatholic faith andethnicity.[20] Catholic immigrants were regularly met with discrimination from their Protestant peers, sentiments which sometimes boiled over into events such as thePhiladelphia nativist riots against Irish Catholic immigrants. Catholic churches had been similarly defaced by the American military in Mexico during the war. Additionally, both the Mexicans and the Irish were subjected to racism andxenophobia based on'scientific racism' and treated as inferior to American nativists.[21]
Another hypothesis is that the members of the Saint Patrick's Battalion had been unhappy with their treatment in the U.S. Army; this was the conviction of George Ballentine, an Englishman who served in the American army. Ballentine stated that while "there was a portion of truth" in the view—commonly assigned by officers—that the deserters joined the Mexican army due to their Catholicism; he said, "I have good reason to believe, in fact in some cases I know, that harsh and unjust treatment by their officers operated far more strongly than any other consideration to produce the deplorable result [desertion]," and described how he found the punishments used for "trivial offensives" to be "revolting and disgusting".[22] Another theory some historians hold is that the soldiers were attracted by the incentives offered by the Mexican government: safe passage throughout Mexico for deserters, generous land grants, and the offer of potential military commissions.[23] For poor people coming from famine conditions, economics was often an important incentive.[24]
Mexican author José Raúl Conseco noted that many Irish lived in northern Texas, and were forced to move south due to regional insecurity. Mainly Irish settlers fromSan Patricio, Texas, had previously sided with Mexican forces against Texan rebels at theBattle of Lipantitlán in theTexan Revolution.[25]
Irish expatriates had a long tradition of serving as mercenaries in the military forces of Catholic countries, including inEuropean countries after the Williamite War. In the decades leading up to the Mexican-American War many Irish fought in theSouth American wars of independence.[c]
Present in the Mexican Army for the battles ofPalo Alto andResaca de la Palma were theLegión de Extranjeros (Legion of Foreigners); the men who would later make up the core of the Saint Patrick's battalion. Meanwhile, deserters were abandoning General Taylor's army on theRio Grande.[1] Riley and "a company of 48 Irishmen"[26] manned Mexican artillery at theSiege of Fort Texas, which took place concurrently to the two other battles.Martin Tritschler,German Mexican and a Captain at theBattle of Cerro Gordo, is attributed with convincing a large number of German soldiers to defect from the U.S. occupying forces inPuebla, Puebla.
The first major engagement of the Saint Patrick's Battalion, as a recognised Mexican unit, was as anartillery battery in theBattle of Monterrey of 21 September 1846.[27][28] Popularly they were calledLos Colorados by the Mexicans because of their ruddy, sun-burnt complexions and red hair color.[29][30] They were commanded byJohn Riley,[b] an Irishman who had previously served in theBritish Army as anon-commissioned officer and possibly arrived in Canada in 1843 whilst serving in his British unit (the assertion that Riley was asergeant in the66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot[29] is known to be inaccurate).[31] Riley went on to join the U.S. Army in Michigan in September 1845. He deserted in Matamoros in April 1846.[32] Upon meeting Mexican forces he was initially given theOfficer rank ofLieutenant byGeneralPedro de Ampudia.[33]
At the battle of Monterrey theSan Patricios proved their artillery skills by causing the deaths of many American soldiers, and they are credited with defeating two[34] to three[3] separate assaults into the heart of the city. Among their targets were companies led by such officers asBraxton Bragg, many of whose soldiers would end up in their own ranks later in the war.[35] Their tenacity, however, did not affect the Mexican commanders' decision to capitulate and abandon the position.
Following the engagement atMonterrey, theSan Patricios grew in number, by some estimates reaching an enlistment of over 700 men.[33][36] Forces re-assembled atSan Luis Potosí and they had their distinct green silk flag embroidered there.[37]
They then marched northward after joining a larger force commanded byAntonio López de Santa Anna sent from Mexico City, the "liberating army of the North". At theBattle of Buena Vista (known as the battle of Angostura in Mexico) inCoahuila on 23 February, the Patricios became engaged with U.S. forces. They were assigned the three heaviest—18 and 24 pound—cannons the Mexican army possessed, which were positioned on high ground overlooking the battlefield, at the base of a hillside (just below what is now a gravel mine).[38] They were later described as "a strong Mexican battery ... moved ... by dint of extraordinary exertions ... [that] commanded the entire plateau".[39]
They started the battle supporting Mexican infantry by firing on U.S. lines as the Mexicans advanced on them, then later decimating an artillery battery directly opposite them on the battlefield (Washington's 4th Artillery, D Battery). A small number ofSan Patricios were dispatched with adivision commanded byManuel Lombardini with the express purpose of capturing the 4th's cannons once the crews had been dealt with. As the division got close enough they charged the artillery battery, bayoneting whoever remained androuting the rest, leaving the attachedSan Patricios free to haul away two six-pound cannons.[40] These cannons would later be used by Mexican forces at theBattle of Contreras.[16]
In frustration U.S. CommanderZachary Taylor, referring to the Saint Patrick's Battalion, ordered asquadron of the1st Dragoons to "take that damned battery".[41] In this task they failed, and, badly bloodied, were forced to retreat.[16] At about 1 p.m. theSan Patricios covered a Mexican retreat as a disordered mass of infantry sought refuge during a lull in the fighting.[42] TheSan Patricios rode out the day in a costly artillery duel with several American batteries,[43] which killed or injured roughly one third of them.[8] General Francisco Mejia's Battle Report for Buena Vista described theSan Patricios' as "worthy of the most consummate praise because the men fought with daring bravery."[44] Several Irishmen were awarded theWar Cross by the Mexican government for their conduct in that battle, and many received field promotions.[8][45]
Despite their excellent performance in a number of engagements as artillery, the much-reducedSan Patricios were ordered to muster a largerinfantrybattalion, as well as a cavalry unit, in mid-1847 by personal order of Santa Anna. It was renamed theForeign Legion of Patricios and consisted of volunteers from many European countries, commanded by Col. Francisco R. Moreno, with Riley in charge of 1stcompany and Santiago O'Leary heading up the second.[8] Desertion handbills were produced, specially targeting Catholic Irish, French and German immigrants in the invading U.S. army and stating that "You must not fight against a religious people, nor should you be seen in the ranks of those who proclaim slavery of mankind as a constitutive principle ... liberty is not on the part of those who desire to be lords of the world, robbing properties and territories which do not belong to them and shedding so much blood in order to accomplish their views, views in open war to the principles of our holy religion".[46]
TheBattle of Churubusco (20 August 1847) took place about four months after the defeat at Cerro Gordo. Gen. Santa Anna gave a verbal order to "preserve the point at all risk".[47] The San Patricio Companies initially met the attackers outside the walls of the convent at atête-de-pont, which was about 500 yards (457 m) from a fortified convent.[48] A battery of three[49] to five[48] heavy cannons were used from this position to hold off the American advance along with support fromLos Independencia Batallón andLos Bravos Batallón.[49] The Americans were under the command ofCol. William Hoffman.[50] Several U.S. charges towards the bridgehead were thrown off,[51] with theSan Patricio companies serving as an example to the supporting battalions.[52] Unlike theSan Patricios, most of whom were veterans (many having served in the armies of the United Kingdom and various German states), the supporting Mexican battalions were simplymilitia (the term 'National Guard' is also used[47]) who had been untested by battle.[49]
A lack of ammunition led the Mexican soldiers in the trenches between the bridgehead and the convent to disband; without ammunition, they had no way to fight back.[53] Santa Anna had ordered half of these soldiers to a different part of the battlefield.[54] When the requested ammunition wagon finally arrived, the 9 ½drachm cartridges were compatible with none but the San Patricio Companies "Brown Bess" muskets, and they made up only a fraction of the defending forces.[55] Further hampering Mexican efforts, a stray spark from an artillery piece firinggrapeshot at the on-coming U.S. troops caused the just-arrived ammunition to explode and set fire to several men, including Captain O'Leary and Gen. Anaya.[56] Awithdrawal behind the walls of theconvento de Churubusco was called when the threat of being outflanked proved too great.[16]
TheSan Patricios used this battle as a chance to settle old scores with U.S. troops: "The large number of officers killed in the affair was ... ascribed to them, as for the gratification of their revenge they aimed at no other objects during the engagement".[57] At some point during the fighting for the convent, two American officers led fifteen men against a point in the Mexican defenses, and mistookSan Patricio members for friendly U.S. army troops; theSan Patricios opened fire on them, killing or wounding all but one of the group.[58] Though hopelessly outnumbered and under-equipped, the defenders repelled the attacking U.S. forces with heavy losses until their ammunition ran out and a Mexican officer raised the white flag of surrender. Officer Patrick Dalton of theSan Patricios tore the white flag down, prompting Gen.Pedro Anaya to order his men to fight on, with their bare hands if necessary.[8] American Private Ballentine reported that when the Mexicans attempted to raise thewhite flag two more times, members of theSan Patricios shot and killed them.[57][59] After brutalclose-quarters fighting withbayonets andsabers through the halls and rooms inside the convent, U.S. ArmyCaptain James M. Smith suggested a surrender after raising his white handkerchief.[60] Following the U.S. victory, the Americans "ventilat[ed] their vocabulary of Saxon expletives, not very "courteously", on Riley and his beautiful disciples of St. Patrick."[61]
Gen. Anaya stated in his written battle report that 35San Patricios were killed, 85 taken prisoner (including a wounded John Riley, Captain O'Leary, and Anaya); about 85 escaped with retreating Mexican forces.[8] Some 60% of theSan Patricios were killed or captured in the engagement.[62] The survivors were reformed before theBattle of Mexico City some two weeks later and were stationed atQuerétaro where the Mexican government had decamped, with some 50 members serving as a body-guard for the commander-in-chief.[63] The battalion were caught up in the infighting and politicking of Mexico at the time, and were under the patronage of a faction that favored suing for ending of the conflict peacefully.[64] New units were later made up of the free survivors of the battle of Churubusco and a roughly equal number of fresh deserters from the U.S. Army.[60][65] Following the war, the Mexican Government insisted in a clause of theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that the remainingSan Patricio prisoners held by the Americans were to be left in Mexico, and Major GeneralWilliam Orlando Butler issued General Orders 116 on 1 June 1848 stating that; "The prisoners confined at the Citadel, known as theSan Patricio prisoners, will be immediately discharged"—Rogue's March was played upon their release.[44] The Saint Patrick's Battalion continued to function as two infantry companies under the command of John Riley, with one unit tasked with sentry duty in Mexico City and the other was stationed in the suburbs of Guadalupe Hidalgo.[44] TheSan Patricios were officially mustered out of Mexican military service in 1848; some members were alleged to have been involved in an abortivemilitary coup,[66] while historians have said the group was disbanded because of Mexican budget cuts.[citation needed]
TheSan Patricios captured by the U.S. Army were treated and punished as traitors for desertion in time of war. Seventy-two men were immediately charged with desertion by the Army.[34]
Two separate courts-martial were held, one atTacubaya on 23 August, and another atSan Ángel on 26 August. At neither of these trials were the men represented by lawyers nor were transcripts made of the proceedings. This lack of formal legal advice could account for the fact that several of the men claimed that drunkenness had led them to desert (a common defense in military trials at the time that sometimes led to lighter sentences), and others described how they were forced to join the Mexican Army in some form or another. The majority of theSan Patricios either offered no defense or their defenses were not recorded. Wealthy Mexicans came to theSan Patricios' defence at the trials, and members of Mexico's first families visited them in prison.[67]
One soldier who claimed he was forced to fight by the Mexicans after he was captured by them, and who subsequently refused to do so, was sentenced to death by firing squad instead of hanging, along with another who was found not to have officially joined the Mexican Army.[34]
Most of the convictedSan Patricios were sentenced to death by hanging: 30 from the Tacubaya trial and 18 from San Ángel. The rationale was that they had entered Mexican military service following the declaration of war. Execution by hanging was in violation of the contemporaryArticles of War, which stipulated that the penalty for desertion and/or defecting to the enemy during a time of war was death byfiring squad, regardless of the circumstances. Hanging was reserved only for spies (without uniform) and for "atrocities against civilians", neither of which activities were among the charges brought against any members of the Saint Patrick's Battalion.[45] Although more than 9,000 U.S. soldiers deserted the army during the Mexican–American War, only theSan Patricios (who unlike almost all other deserters had also fought against the United States) were punished by hanging.[68]
Those soldiers who had left military service before the officialdeclaration of war on Mexico (Riley among them) were sentenced to "... receive 50 lashes on their bare backs, to be branded with the letter 'D' for deserter, and to wear iron yokes around their necks for the duration of the war."[69] This, too, went against the Articles of War; deserters who left prior to a declaration of war were supposed to be branded,scourged,or sentenced to hard labor. TheSan Patricios instead received all three punishments, a fate that once again was given to no other deserters during the war.[21]
In all, 50 Saint Patrick's Battalion members were officially executed by the U.S. Army, all but two by hanging. Collectively, this was the largestmass execution in United States history. (The hanging of 38Sioux at the conclusion of theDakota War of 1862 appears to have been the largest execution by hanging at a single event.) En masse executions fortreason took place at three separate locations on three separate dates; 16 were executed on 10 September 1847 at San Ángel, four were executed the following day at the village of Mixcoac on 11 September, and 30 were hanged atChapultepec on 13 September.[70] OneSan Patricio was murdered by American soldiers when he was recognised among the prisoners of war in the aftermath of theBattle of Molino del Rey, by being thrown "into a mill flume and crushed by the wheel".[71] At the San Ángel hangings all prisoners were executed without incident except for Patrick Dalton, who, as an American captain described, was "literally choked to death". Dalton had previously voiced concerns regarding his treatment.[72]
By order of Gen.Winfield Scott, thirtySan Patricios were to be executed at Chapultepec in full view of the two armies while they fought theBattle of Chapultepec, at the precise moment that the flag of the U.S. replaced the flag of Mexico atop the citadel. This order was carried out by Col.William Harney.[45] Harney was taunted and jeered by the condemned men.[73] While overseeing the hangings, Harney ordered Francis O'Connor hanged although he had had both legs amputated the previous day. When the army surgeon informed the colonel that the absent soldier had lost both his legs in battle, Harney replied: "Bring the damned son of a bitch out! My order was to hang 30 and by God I'll do it!"[74]
The U.S. flag appeared on the flagpole at 9.30 a.m. Legend has it that the Mexican flag had been taken by a cadet,Juan Escutia [es] of theNiños Héroes, who leapt with it to his death fromChapultepec Castle to deny the Americans the honor of capturing it. In a final act of defiance, the men about to be hanged cheered theMexican flag, as one onlooker remarked; "Hands tied, feet tied, their voices still free".[75] At Harney's signal, the carts holding the tied and noosed men pulled away.[76] Harney refused to cut the bodies down, stating that "I was ordered to have them hanged, and have no orders tounhang them".[77] Harney was subsequently promoted to brigadier general, which rank he held while the U.S. Army occupied Mexico City.
The Mexican government described the hangings as "a cruel death or horrible torments, improper in a civilized age, and [ironic] for a people who aspire to the title of illustrious and humane",[16] and by a writer covering the war as "a refinement of cruelty and ... fiendish".[78] George Ballentine remarked, in his account of his American military service in Mexico,"[T]he desertion of our soldiers to the Mexican army ... were still numerous, in spite of the fearful example of the executions at Churubusco, [and] also served to inspire that party with hope."[79]
Those who survived either made lives for themselves in Mexico or returned to their home nations such as Ireland. Some formerSan Patricios found work at the arsenal inGuadalajara makinggun stocks.[80] One formerSan Patricio, an Irishman, started a military academy teaching "the sword exercise", also in Guadalajara.[81] Others were reportedly killed while travelling through Mexico,[82] while others were reduced to living on handouts.[83] A handful are on record as having made use of the land claims promised them by the Mexican government. Americans in Mexico who had been taken prisoner by Mexico or who were common deserters were known to falsely present themselves as members of the Saint Patrick's Battalion; American William W. Carpenter, who found himself in this predicament, stated that: "the reputation of the San Patricio battalion was spread from ocean to ocean, and to that, more than any thing else, do I owe my present safety".[84]
The men have continued to be honored and revered as heroes in Mexico.[85] TheBatallón de San Patricio is memorialised on two separate days; 12 September, the generally accepted anniversary of the executions of those battalion members captured by the U.S. Army, and 17 March,Saint Patrick's Day. Numerous schools, churches and other landmarks in Mexico take their name from the battalion, including:
In the U.S., the memory of the battalion has been different. In Winfield Scott's1852 run for President of the United States, his treatment of theSan Patricios was brought up by his opponents to sway Irish American voters.[89] The U.S. Army long denied the existence of the Saint Patrick's Battalion, as acover-up and an attempt to discourage other deserters. In 1915, aninquiry was initiated by U.S.congressmenWilliam Henry Coleman andFrank L. Greene. This resulted in the U.S. Army's admitting its denial of the matter. The U.S. Congress ordered the army to turn over its records on the battalion to theNational Archives.[90] In 1999,MGM cancelled the U.S. distribution of a film depicting the battalion,One Man's Hero.[11] TheSan Patricios are rarely covered in American education; on the rare occasion that they are mentioned, it is pointed out that they were traitors (if holding US citizenship), and small in number. Reasons given for having abandoned the United States included religious sympathy, and pursuit of money and land.[21]
Preferring to fight with the Catholic Mexicans against the Protestant Americans, the San Patricios were the only group of deserters in American history to band together in the service of a foreign enemy.
In 1997, President of MexicoErnesto Zedillo commemorated the 150th anniversary of the execution of theSan Patricios at a ceremony in Mexico City's San Jacinto Plaza. This is where the U.S. Army conducted the first 16 hangings after the men were convicted of desertion at court martial.Ireland and Mexicojointly issued commemorative postage stamps to mark the anniversary.
In 2004, at an official ceremony attended by numerous international dignitaries, including directors Lance and Jason Hool and several actors from the filmOne Man's Hero, the Mexican government gave a commemorative statue to the Irish government in perpetual thanks for the bravery, honor and sacrifice of the Saint Patrick's Battalion. The statue was erected in the town ofClifden, Connemara, Ireland, where leaderJohn Riley was born. Clifden flies theMexican flag in honor of Riley every year on 12 September. In 2014,Sinn Féin named acumann in Clifden in honor of Reilly.[92]
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 An image displaying both the Irish and Mexican versions of the joint issue stamp |
The battalion has inspired numerous responses: it is the name of an supporters's association of theassociation football team Club DeportivoChivas USA. The unit was evoked in aSaint Patrick's Day message fromSubcomandante Marcos of theZapatista Army of National Liberation,[93] TheSan Patricios have been remembered as a symbol of international solidarity with Mexico.[94][95]
There are conflicting accounts of the design of the flag of the Saint Patrick's Battalion. No flags or depictions of them are known to have survived to the present day. The only version of the flag known to have survived the war was subsequently lost or stolen from the chapel atWest Point.[96]
John Riley, who left an account of the battalion, noted the flag in a letter:[97]
In all my letter, I forgot to tell you under what banner we fought so bravely. It was that glorious Emblem of native rights, that being the banner which should have floated over our native Soil many years ago, it was St. Patrick, theHarp of Erin, theShamrock upon a green field.
According toGeorge Wilkins Kendall, an American journalist covering the war with Mexico:[98]
The banner is of green silk, and on one side is a harp, surmounted by the Mexican coat of arms, with a scroll on which is paintedLibertad por la Republica Mexicana [Liberty for the Mexican Republic]. Under the harp is the motto ofErin go Bragh! On the other side is a painting ... made to represent St. Patrick, in his left hand a key and in his right a crook or staff resting upon a serpent. Underneath is paintedSan Patricio.
Two other eye-witness accounts of the flag exist, both from American soldiers. The first describes it as:
... a beautiful green silk banner [which] waved over their heads; on it glittered a silver cross and a golden harp, embroidered by the hands of the fair nuns ofSan Luis Potosí.
— Samuel E. Chamberlain,My Confession,[99]
The second notes only:
Among the mighty host we passed was O'Reilly [sic] and his company of deserters bearing aloft in high disgrace the holy banner of St. Patrick.
A radically different version of the flag was described in a Mexican source:[101]
They had a white flag/standard, on which were found the shields of Ireland and Mexico, and the name of their captain, John O'Reilly [sic] embroidered in green.
Whatever the case, in 1997 a reproduction military flag was created by the Clifden and Connemara Heritage Group. Another was created the following year for the MGM filmOne Man's Hero, a romanticised version of theSan Patricios' history. A third version embodying the description of the San Luis Potosí flag was made for the Irish Society of Chicago, which hung it in the city'sUnion League Club.
Some writers suggest that the Saint Patrick's Battalion might have used different banners (as an artillery unit, as an infantry company, and as a reconstructed unit).[102]
A number of musical works have covered the battalion, including:[citation needed]
a.^ The coats were Turkish-blue with yellowlapels and crimson-redcuffs as well as piping. The trousers were sky-blue with red piping. Officers wore black or blueKepis and privates wore dark-blue cloth barracks caps, with red tassels similar to aFez, also with red piping.[106]
b.12 Variably spelled inEnglish as John Reily, Riely, Reilly, O'Reily and O'Reilly. His name is given as Juan Reyle, Reley, Reely and Reiley in Mexican army documents written inSpanish. Regardless of other variant spellings, the name was Seán Ó Raghailligh in the originalIrish Gaelic.[107]
c.^ See articles1st Venezuelan Rifles,Bernardo O'Higgins,Daniel Florencio O'Leary,Juan O'Donojú,Morgan O'Connell, &William Lamport.
d.^ Monterrey is here spelled "Monterey" as it appears in thePersonal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (Not to be confused withMonterey of theBattle of Monterey, also in the Mexican–American War).[50]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Al conmemorar la gesta heroica del Batallón de San Patricio honramos la memoria de todos los hombres y de todas las mujeres que han luchado y siguen luchando por construir un mundo más justo, más incluyente y más democrático, independientemente de su origen étnico, su condición social, su herencia cultural y su filosofía de vida. [As we commemorate the heroic gesture of the St. Patrick's Battalion, we honor the memory of all men and all women who have fought and are still struggling to build a world more just, more democratic and inclusive, regardless of their ethnic origin, social status, cultural heritage and philosophy of life]
Tenían una insignia blanca, en la que se encontraban los escudos de Irlanda y Mexico, y el nombre de su capitán, John O'Reilly bordado en verde.
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