"Mexico loves the San Patricios. In 1846, approximately 200 U.S. soldiers, most of them Irish immigrants, invaded Mexico under the command of Gen. Zachary Taylor. They wound up battling a crisis of conscience. Experiencing an affinity with the Mexican people, and troubled by the atrocities committed by other U.S. soldiers (rape, looting, murder, etc.), the last straw for the Irishmen — according to historical accounts — involved their Catholicism.
"When the Irish witnessed fellow soldiers desecrating churches and abusing priests and nuns, they knew they had to act. The Irish soldiers — commanded by Capt. John Riley — deserted and fought alongside the Mexicans. And so was born the legend of El Battalion de San Patricio, or the St. Patrick's Battalion, which was fought with what one Mexican official called 'daring bravery.'
"After Mexico lost the war, almost a hundred San Patricios were court-martialed as traitors. Many were whipped, hanged, or branded. In Mexico, it's a different story. Honored with a monument in Mexico City, the San Patricios are still revered as heroes."
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