Читать книгу The Irish Who Fought for Mexico - Daniel Grimes - Страница 3

For generations, the story of the San Patricio Battalion has stirred emotions in three countries. Nevertheless, the history of these men has been ignored in many accounts of the Mexican-American War (1846-48). The saga began when many Irishmen left their country during a period of terrible famine and began new lives in the United States. Once in America, they faced rampant discrimination and uncertainty about their future, leading many of them to enlist in the United States Army. After enlistment, some were sent to fight against Mexico in a war in which they had no stake. Along with an unwillingness by some of them to fight against other Catholics, having witnessed atrocities committed by American soldiers caused a number of the Irish to feel they had more in common with Mexico than with the predominantly Protestant United States. In addition, Mexican offers of both citizenship and several acres of land to anyone who deserted the American army and fought for Mexico proved to be valuable incentives to both Irish and other foreign-born soldiers to switch sides.

Once these Irish deserted the Americans and joined the Mexican Army, they had a significant impact in several key battles of the war. Their courage and fighting ability earned the soldiers of the San Patricio Battalion great admiration from Mexico but the wrath of the United States, which was determined to crush them. Facing overwhelming odds against a well-trained and well-equipped American army, the San Patricios remained steadfast in defense of their adopted land, Mexico, even after many of their Mexican comrades fled the battlefield or wanted to surrender.

This unit would, in no small part, have a role in deciding the boundaries of North America, in a war which greatly expanded the size of the United States and cost Mexico a huge amount of its territory. In addition, this story highlights a rarely told aspect of the immigrant experience in the United States and Mexico.