Saint Patrick's Battalion

Mr. Thom's novel, Saint Patrick's Battalion, ia a refreshing new look into the U.S. invasion of Mexico in 1846. Through Mr. Thom's description of the men (mostly Irish Catholics) who comprised the St. Patrick's Battalion, we are provided with a realistic account of the invasion itself and of the noble reasons that scores of Irish-born U.S. Soldiers switched sides and joined the Mexican Army to defend a weaker, Catholic nation. And they did it willingly and with the knowledge that they would face the gallows if American forces should defeat the Mexican Army, which of course they did. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever questioned the "manifest destiny" philosohpy that was used to justify the war against Mexico.

At the time of the Mexican War (1846-1848) Irish immigration to the United States was at its height. Fear and bigotry of this growing Roman Catholic population led many Protestant Americans into so-called "nativist" movements, enabling harsh treatment of the Irish and literally fueling the fire of anti-Catholic riots in American cities. In part to escape this discrimination and also to obtain American citizenship, many Irishmen enlisted for service in the army; only to find worse the hatred and abuse from their Protestant officers and fellow soldiers. This allowed the Mexicans a great propaganda weapon, one that made it easy for them to send word throughout the Irish ranks of the American army that in Mexico they would be welcomed as fellow Roman Catholics. This resulted in the desertion of hundreds of Irish and German Catholic soldiers. James Alexander Thom's SAINT PATRICK'S BATTALION is an exciting fictionalized account of the action taken by Pvt. John Riley and others like him who could no longer tolerate being whipped, gagged and branded simply because they were of a different race and religion. Riley made his way over to the Mexican forces where he was quickly made an officer and helped form the San Patricio Battalion of artillery. The story here is told through the journal of Padraic Quinn, an Irish campboy in the American army and interspersed with the recollections of Augustin Juvero, the son of Riley's Mexican lover, who was later to become one of the valiant military cadets, 'Los Ninos Heroes,' at the 1847 Battle of Chapultepec. Further historical reading on this shame in America's history can be found in THE ROGUE'S MARCH by Peter F. Stevens and THE IRISH SOLDIERS OF MEXICO by Michael Hogan, among others.