Saint Patrick Battalion - Music Video (Cover)

Saint Patrick Battalion - Music Video (Cover)

The song "Saint Patrick Battalion" is originally by David Rovics. There is a sad but beautiful history behind it.
The Saint Patrick's Battalion was an ex-American band of soldiers that fought against the United States in the Mexican–American War. When thousands of Irish and other European immigrants were coming to America in the 1800s, many of them volunteered to join the United States Army. Unfortunately, the U.S. Army was overwhelmingly Protestant and heavily persecuted Catholic immigrant soldiers. They were chastised for attending mass, including being whipped publicly and denied promotions in the Army. They were treated like slaves and not American Citizens, although they had received citizenship upon arriving in the U.S. and joining the army. Because of these abuses, some defected from the Army and went to Mexico before the war, and others deserted during the war because it was an unjust war of conquest against the infant nation of Mexico. They also saw war crimes and abuses against the Mexican Catholics by the American soldiers and realized that the Mexicans were their true brethren in arms, not the tyrannical anti-Catholic American Army.
The battalion was formed and led by Irishman John Riley and consisted of several hundred mostly European expatriates and immigrants who defected or deserted the U.S. Army and fought alongside the Mexicans.

Their story is summed up beautifully in these lyrics:
Lyrics:
My name is John Riley
I'll have your ear only a while
I left my dear home of Ireland
It was death, starvation, or exile
And when I got to America
It was my duty to go
Enter the Army and slog across Texas
To join in the war against Mexico

It was there in those pueblos and hillsides
Where I saw the mistake I had made
Part of a conquering army
With the morals of a bayonet blade
So in the midst of 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 Saint Patrick Battalion
And we fought on the Mexican side

We marched 'neath the green flag of Saint Patrick
Emblazoned with "Erin Go Bragh"
Bright with the harp and the shamrock
And "Libertad para Mexicana"
Just fifty years after Wolftone
Five thousand miles away
The Yanks called us a Legion of Strangers
And they can talk as they may

From Dublin City to San Diego
We witnessed freedom denied
So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion
And we fought on the Mexican side

We fought them in Matamoros
Where their volunteers were raping the nuns
In Monterey and Cerro Gordo
We fought on as Ireland's sons

We were the red-headed fighters for freedom
Amidst these brown-skinned women and men
Side by side we fought against tyranny
And I daresay we'd do it again


From Dublin City to San Diego
We witnessed freedom denied
So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion
And we fought on the Mexican side

We fought them in five major battles
Churubusco was the last
Overwhelmed by the cannons from Boston
We fell after each mortar blast
Most of us died on that hillside
In the service of the Mexican state
So far from our occupied homeland
We were heroes and victims of fate

From Dublin City to San Diego
We witnessed freedom denied
So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion
And we fought on the Mexican side.

This video was released on September 8th, the anniversary of the final battle in the Mexican-American War, where many members of the St. Patrick's Battalion were cruelly hanged after being forced to watch the Mexican flag descend and the American flag raised in its place. John Riley was present and forced to watch his men get executed after being branded twice on the face with a "D" for deserter, imprisoned, whipped with 50 lashes, and sentenced to harsh manual labor. The Mexicans tried to no avail to receive the St. Patrick's Battalion as honored Mexican citizens and save them from these unjust punishments, but the U.S. Army refused to release them. John Riley was not executed, and after awhile finally released and allowed to go to Mexico, where he lived out the rest of his days.

September 8th is also the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Holy Mary, pray for us and the souls of your Catholic soldiers. May they rest in peace.
#SaintPatrick #MexicanAmerican #War #Battalion