The Irish Soldiers of Mexico

by Michael Hogan

Book by Hogan, Michael, Hogan, Michael F. X.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War, American History, Irish Literature

Paperback

First published March 15, 1999

Reviews

[Isabella A · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Mexican student studying Mexican History, it is sometimes hard to find any books regarding the Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico. This is probably due to the fact that most historians and teachers focus on either the Mexicans or the Americans when studying the Mexican-American war. Nonetheless, thanks to “The Irish Soldiers of Mexico,” students all over the the world are able to read about some characters who were respected by the Mexicans but hated and ultimately hanged by the Americans. Reading this book was a great experience for it enhanced my understanding of Mexican history and Mexican-American relationships. Additionally, the book helped me understand Mexican History class at a deeper level.

This multi-layered Irish/Mexican/US history by Dr. Michael Hogan, is very detailed and well-written. It gives a lot of background information regarding why the Irish Soldiers fought for Mexico. It also gives clear information on why the United States decided to invade Mexico. Although the book does have a complex language, I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a hidden part of history. Particularly students studying either Mexican or American history, because it tells the story of unrecognized soldiers during a war that created a lot of controversy. Therefore, the book tells the truth even when it may be upsetting to some.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stories are forgotten by the victors! Here find the tale of two hundred Irish immigrants to the United States, who shortly after participating in the invasion of Mexico, decided to defend it instead. They fought valiantly in five battles, flying the green flag of St. Patrick, and their survivors continued to serve Mexico even after the war as a check against brigandry. To the United States, they are an embarrassment best forgotten, a blotch on the United States' first military adventure outside of strict self-defense. To Mexico, they are red-headed heroes: they are the San Patricos. The Irish Soldiers of Mexico makes the best of scarce resources and supplies generous background information to give the fighting Irish their deserved laurels.

Hogan grounds the decision of the Irish to bolt in both race and religion. Prior to the waves of European immigration in the late 19th century, the early Republic shared England's pride in its Anglo-Saxon heritage, complete with varying degrees of disdain or contempt for non-Saxons. Prejudice against the Irish was as pronounced as it might be against blacks or Native Americans, at least until so many Irish came over that they begin blending in. The early Republic was also expressedly Protestant in its religion, viewing the Catholic church as Old World and un-American as it was possible to be. Even Maryland, established as a Catholic sanctuary and home to the largest landowner of the founders, Charles Carroll, was quickly taken over by Protestantism. The abuse incurred by the Irish for both their Celtic blood and their Catholic region kept a barrier up between them and the affection they might have had for their adopted country, and made them sympathetic to the plight of Mexico -- what was Ireland, but a poor nation of Catholics, dominated by Anglo-Saxon Protestants who regarded its inhabitants as fit only for serfs? The abhorrent behavior exhibited by the invading US Army -- the same abhorrent behavior exhibited by virtually every invading army anywhere, in which men are replaced by uniformed chimpanzees bent on looting, raping, and burning -- coupled with the seemingly deliberate attack on Mexican churches forced the Irish to make a decision. Who would they keep faith with? Their paymasters, or the people of Mexico, whose plight was so much like the Irish?

Although this book concerns a military battalion, it is not principally military history; what we know based on terse US records and Mexican records (reduced by fire, unfortunately) is that the San Patricios were particularly noted for their work on the cannons. In one battle, after Mexican troops had exhausted their ammunition, the Irish fought to the last, recovering their compadres' retreat. Those San Patricios who were captured were put to death in a gruesome manner -- not shot as soldiers, but incompetently hung after standing at attention for four hours, or beaten with the lash in excess of the Articles of War. Half the book's volume is given over to notes, and much of its content proper explores the racial and religion aspects of the Irish stand. While this information is slight, this is an often-overlooked chapter in the Mexican war, one that Irish Americans in particular should note with interest.

As a side note, I discovered this episode through a song by David Rovics:
And it was there in the pueblos and the hillsides
That I saw the mistake I had made
Part of a conquering army, with the morals of a bayonet brigade
And amidst all these poor dying Catholics --
Screaming children, the burning stench of it all --
Myself and two hundred Irishmen decided to rise to the call
From Dublin City to San Diego, we witnessed freedom denied
So we formed the St. Patrick Battalion and we fought on the Mexican side.
("The St. Patrick's Battalion", David Rovics)

[Fiachra Keogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Hogan’s Irish Soldiers of Mexico is fascinating and gripping. Thanks to his remarkable, revelatory, and intrepid researches their flag still flies. In The Irish Soldiers of Mexico, it is described

thusly:

‘Composed of green silk…the image of St. Patrick embroidered in silver on one side, with a shamrock and harp on the other.’

The battalion, as Dr. Hogan notes, is justifiably famous in Mexico. Outside of Mexico, the story was for too long told through the lens of Manifest Destiny and the patriotic distortions of American historians. As a consequence, the Irish who swam across the Rio Grande before the first battle, and those who switched sides as the conflict raged, were slandered as turncoats and traitors.

Dr Hogan’s research is thorough and detailed providing a comprehensive picture of events leading up to and around the US invasion of Mexico. Thanks to his labors, the history is now clearer, particularly with respect to the true motivations of the San Patricio's. These men were committed warriors and officers in a cause in which they believed. They fought bravely and with great skill, and their deeds remain famous in Mexico to this day. United in conflict against imperial expansion, and bound by their Catholic heritage, Mexico and Ireland are sympathetic cultures. The San Patricio's are a symbol both of shared struggle, and deep cultural affinities.

Thank you Michael for this much needed perspective that serves to alleviate the fast that history is written by the winners.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and informative.

The San Patricio Battalion were primarily Irish Catholics who deserted from the US Army during the Mexican American War, or the War of US Intervention, to fight with the Mexicans. They were not entirely Irish nor entirely deserters as many US historians report. The author clears this misinformation.

During the years preceding the war, the American public thought poorly of Irish immigrants. They were believed to be lazy and papist. Catholics were not highly thought if either because of their loyalty to the Pope and for idolatry (Virgin Mary). Not like the Puritanical tendency of the Anglos. In addition, the author explained Manifest Destiny and the American desire for expansionism.

Supposedly, the war began to remove Mexicans from US lands. Even congressman Abe Lincoln stated that the lands between the Nueces Rives and the Rio Grande was disputed territory but hedid vote to fend the war. I don't remember learning this in either Texas history or US history although I think I remember seeing maps with a border near the Nueces River.

The San Patricio s were not lazy but very fierce soldiers. When captured, they were court martialed and most of the 80 or so on trial were found guilty. They were cruelly tortured and hanged. The leader John Reilly was whipped, branded, and had a heavy yoke during hard labor. During the peace treaty process, he was released. There were more than 9000 desertions during this war, more than any other war in US history. Most were not Irish or Catholics.

I wish there were more visual exhibits such as timelines. Overall very good.

[Howard Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned of the Patricios while living in Tampico Mexico and did a paper on them from researching the data bases available at the college I was attending in New England.
The detail of the account in Mr. Hogan.s book is superb. The fact that such little is known or even found in research data is a testament to the need for to make all historical documents easily available, and teach history in its entirety. 5 STARS

[LunaWave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story of the Mexican-American War and the mind-set of America mid-1800s. Manifest Destiny at its best, anti-Irish sentiment abounds and anti-catholicism is in high gear. All which leads many Irish immigrants to dessert from the US Army to become the San Patricios, who fought valiantly for their religion and adopted country, Mexico, which welcomed them with open arms and religious empathy.

Politics have not changed much in the more than 100+ years since this war- favoritism and the ever present "good-ol' boys" network as well as collusion on overt omission of war crimes against prisoners of war of Irish descent. With delayed hangings, branding, racism, cultural intolerance and the essential rape of the country of Mexico, the book best describes the mentality and actions of American soldiers, the climate of the United States at that time and the essence of manifest destiny.

Every year, Mexico celebrates the dedication and spirit of these Irish soldiers as they fought to preserve the religious and cultural freedom of the Mexican peoples. This is not a book for casual read, it is much more of an educational/informative book dedicated to truth in history. Because this story is certainly NOT what you have learned in any history class.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got interested in the San Patricio Battalion quite by accident - in part because of an Irish friend in Mexico. Hogan's book adds a lot to the story of these soldiers. It adds a lot of detail to the story including some speculation on what ultimately came of John Riley - which some other books don't seem to get.

The downside of the book comes from two sources. First, there is some interpretation that Hogan makes about some of the facts - which I would disagree with. That is natural - history requires interpretation and mine is a bit different than his. His factual content, none-the-less - is deep and careful. The second problem with the book is there is some redundancy. In an effort to provide a complete record - which future writers can follow for original sources (the mark of a good historian) he begins to repeat himself in a couple of instances.

So why with those two flaws would I give the book a "5" because even with those flaws it is well worth the time. If you have any interest in the era, or in US Mexican relations, or in some of the major characters of the time - this book should be a must read.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The US invasion of Mexico in 1846-47 receives little mention in US histories. when it is mentioned, it is usually as the place where the more famous officers of the Civil War received their combat training. It is not an episode which shows the US in the role of "Spreader of Democracies & freedom throughout the world" which we try to project. It did, however expand the territory of the US - Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California all were absorbed into the US under the banner of "Manifest Destiny", the theory that only Anglo-Saxon Protestants were fit to rule the new world. Mexico lost more than two fifths of its territory. The San Patricio Brigade was composed of men - mostly Catholic & mostly Irish & German who switched sides & fought with Mexico against the US invasion. History has shoved the story aside -- a dirty little incident in a dirty little war-- but Michael Hogan's book gives an objective look to the history of that troubled time.

[Teresa Carbajal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Historical Review | The Irish Soldiers of Mexico by Michael Hogan

Why is it that history becomes all that more interesting and fascinating only after the conclusion of our formal schooling years? It is no doubt that History class torments young students and puts others to sleep. Is it because history textbooks are “predominantly histories written by the winners” and therefore this one-sided perspective does not lend itself to wonder and academic discussion? How about historical fiction? Yet another perspective that allows both the author and reader to contemplate astutely and ingeniously about the “true” account of the past. So it is because of this marvel that The Irish Soldiers of Mexico by Michael Hogan should be on every reading list from secondary education to graduate studies.

Continue reading at www.DulceBreadandBookShop.com

[Jorge Flores Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a not fully understood part of history that links Mexico, US, catholic religion, and Ireland, this book is an eye opener. A total different point of view regarding the US invasion of Mexico and the motivations behind the San Patricio´s battalion. It is an authentic myth killer both sides of the border. San Patricio´s are not traitors but heroes faithful of the catholic religion, neither did Mexico sell Texas because of "bad government", nor the US intervention was popular at the time in Washington. The heart and fight of San Patricio´s had an impact beyond generally thought and brought Mexico with a very different migration that has made a difference over time.

[Mikel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my Amazon review: I just finished re-reading this great work of history by Dr. Michael Hogan. It provides detailed information and perspective about why the U.S. invaded Mexico and declared war against its western/southern neighbor in 1846, something sadly lacking from many American history classes. The book is based on nearly six years of the author's research, some of it searching for and reading official documents in the archives of both countries. If you want to understand the mindset of "Manifest Destiny" that fueled American public policy and bigotry (and still does), you should consider reading this book. Truly a great read.

[Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. Helps explain the how and why's of the irish that fought for Mexico in the Mexican-American war

[foxfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent update to Robert Ryal Miller's "Shamrock And Sword," great contribution to the traditional method of history as well as to an underwritten episode in US, Mexico, and Irish history. Would love to further see an update to this, I think that there's a lot of room for further interrogation from Hogan's study, given that there is much hidden and lost with regards to primary sources. Sadly, the rather dichotomous debate of "deserters or heroes" is something Hogan doesn't resist, and I'd be excited about a study that situates the San Patricios in a broader conversation of citizenship, nationalism, and desertion as a negation of the privileges of whiteness. Finally, it is clear that the San Patricios interrupt the commonly held notion that the Irish gradually became white over time, and thus this episode deserves more attention.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

New take on the San Patricio Battalion who fought for Mexico against the US. Some of the soldiers were deserters from the US army, others Europeans living in Mexico. Thought provoking revisionist take on these soldiers, who they were and why they fought. The narrative part of the soldiers could have been more cleanly woven into the story.

[Scott Moyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

deeply researched and often revelatory - an unjustly neglected story

An impressive feat of research and analysis - makes a convincing case that this story deserves to be much better known and understood- certainly in the US, where knowledge of it is conspicuously lacking. Another inconvenient truth.

[Jessica Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book however it reads a little more like a textbook. The subject matter is fascinating and the author knows a ton about this subject but it feels somewhat more academic to read.

[Elise Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not kidding when I say this book made me laugh, cry, and angry. It is a full story. It tells everything clearly and made it obvious that war is just people...not seeing how much they could have in common. As a person of Irish descent, it makes a lot of things real. I loved reading it.

[Pascal Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly fascinating story lost (more precisely, hidden) from our mainstream history books when we were in school...read it and be ready to weep.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hogan has done extensive research in American, Mexican, and Irish sources to provide the most complete and balanced account of the San Patricios.

[Michael Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in an engaging way while still making good analyses. This book talks about the underside of a war with lasting effects that have been long overlooked.

[Tom Remp · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate giving low reviews, but I was really disappointed in this. While I know there's a real lack of sources available, I'm researching for a book on the Irish soldiers in Mexico, and felt it gave cursory information about even the areas where we do know quite a bit (the battles around Mexico city, especially), and I came away feeling I hadn't learned much new. It would have been great to really dive into the immigrant experience and that of the U.S. army in Mexico, and I wish there was more information about the individual soldiers, though with that the sources are frustratingly light.

[Cario Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this telling account of a very unmentioned and probably least understood episode in United States history. The Mexican-American War had two distinctions, it expanded the United States territory greater than all other wars combined and it had the most desertions by troops numbering at over 9000. What is totally left out of the US history books is of a number of Irish troops from the US Army joining Mexico to form the St. Patricks Battalion or San Patricios as they were known in Mexico. One motiviation for this act was to stand against the religious persecution of Catholics in the United States at the time. A public example being Catholic school children force fed the King James version of the Bible. In the military, Irish troops would be forced to attend Protestant services or be reprimanded. Prior to 1850, there were no Catholic chaplains in the US military so in the event that a Catholic troop was mortally wounded, there would not be a priest available to administer the last rights. I found this very ironic since freedom of religion was a founding principle of the US republic. Contrary to all the accounts of this war I read in the US history books when in school, the blame was laid at Mexico's doorstep that the war started in the first place.

[Joseph Arce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de leer este libro, creo que los mexicanos deberíamos estar agradecidos con los irlandeses, nobles soldados que dieron su vida por una nación que los adoptó y los olvidó. México debería festejar el día de San Patricio.

[MauriceCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this text as an audio-book during my morning commute and it frequently had me waiting in the car once I arrived at work.

[Richard F Coyne]

Very Educational

A very readable history book! The little known history of the USA's invasion of Mexico, and the Irish that fought on the side of Mexico.