There was the Austin Colony, the DeWitt Colony, and numerous others, including one named "Colonia de San Patricio", founded by John (Juan) McMullen, and John (Juan) McGoin, both Irish-born Irishmen. Its founders promised to deliver....you guessed it... Irish and English colonists, already of the Roman Catholic faith. It was a fairly large land grant, and 89 or more such families made their way to occupy land that ranged from good to excellent for farming and livestock.
The story is long and complex, and here we only need to know that during the conflicts that resulted the independence of Texas, this particular colony, was centered where present-day Sinton (near Corpus Christ) presides as County Seat of San Patricio County.
As Mexican Centralist forces, advancing after essentially destroying Zacatecas, Zacatecas and the best militia in Mexico, was coming north to make "mostraciones y reconiciones" (demonstrations and reconnaissance). The Governor of Coahuila y Texas had fled to Texas, with a number of his own militia, and they would join the Texians. They passed through McMullen's grant and were well received by the locals.
But around that time, at a make-shift fort called Lipantitlan (a Nahuatl adaption of a word meaning Land of the Lipan Apache), not far from a population cluster in the McMullen - McGoin grant, A Mexican Captain came up and called for volunteers to join the Mexican Centralist forces to drive out a bunch of Texian troublemakers from the "fort". These times being in November of 1835.
Some estimates of the San Patricianos who joined and fought were as low as 28 while others (irate Texians) said that almost 100 joined forces with the Centralists. To make a long story short, a story heavily injected with the "fog of war", the Texians at Fort Lipantitlan beat a fast path to the north, and with some considerable losses. The "Battle of Fort Lipatitlan" is little known, but not entirely forgotten by those of us whose talent is for knowing about things that have absolutely no interest to anyone, nor any use to the body of knowledge of the human race.
There were some who have postulated that John Riley, who was born in Ireland and who became the titular head (never full commander) of the Batallon de San Patricio as the Mexican - American War ground on, was from the McMullen - McGoin Colony, It is my opinion that this is lore, and is spun by faery dust and leprechauns. It is true, however, that there were a few, to perhaps quite a few, "Irlandeses" who sided with the Mexican Centralist forces a little more than 10 years before the War with Mexico, who were Texians supporting the Lopez de Santa Anna and the Centralists.
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One big assistance as this War continued with abysmal losses on both sides, was that the generals could look at the mess, and declare, "We won!" Both sides did it, but our old friend Lopez de Santa Anna did it best. At the Battle of Buenavista, south of Saltillo, he managed to stop Taylor, but did not commit his reserves during the night to confront Taylor. He began a forced retreat (covering 40 to 50 miles per day.....incomprehensible but true) down to confront the Americans as they left Vera Cruz on their way to Mexico.
The number of Mexican casualties at Buena Vista? Perhaps 1,300 dead, 2,500 wounded, and several hundred....just gone. Gen. Taylor had lost almost 600 dead, and 1,000 wounded, but worse, over 1,500 had just deserted. Those were official American Army estimates. It was a sobering battle for both Armies.
Then at Cerro Gordo, fighting through the tropical jungles, the high mountain passes, the always cold at night highlands, at Peniensco, the Churubusco, and finally at the fall of the City of Mexico....the Batallon de San Patricio was still intact, with many losses during the months of almost constant preparation for and implementation of combat measures.
Even at the end, when a hopelessly exhausted regiment of Mexican veteran patriots had run out of ammunition, many dead, almost all wounded, either Riley or one of his immediate subordinates dashed over to knock the impromptu white flag from the hands of a wounded sergeant (some say three times).
It is thought that the Americans and other San Patricianos did not want to be captured by the Americans, because many would be hanged like dogs, after short military trials. That is what they thought, and for many, there was truth to the issue.
This event at the Fall of the City of Mexico on the 14th of September, 1845, only two days before Independence Day there, the American officer in charge of those final moments, regarding the one destroyed regiment of patriotic defenders, and studying the most famous element of the enemy they had been facing for such a long and bitter time....the San Paticio Batallon....took pity. He drew out his own white flag, and surrendered in their name. The Batallon de San Patricio had to admit and accept the offer because the only other alternative was group suicide.....the Masada Alternative.
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A cessation of hostilities and commitment to a negotiated peace was initiated during the next days....very quickly. The Mexican military in the central core of the nation, and in the northeast, as well as the tropical east, complied with the armistice. To the south, little was known about the War, and it had escaped almost all the violence.
Religious figures of importance came to request lenience for the San Patrico Battalion personnel. Gen. Winfield Scott said that his lenience was for the honourable Mexican soldiers, not for American traitors. He declared that he was irretrievably committed to providing the maximum punishment to all who deserted and joined foreign forces against American forces after the Declaration of War in the United States.
That would exempt John Riley, because he had left a few days before that Declaration was made. The plaque included in Part I of this treatise has the names of those who were hanged, in fairly short order, after the fall of Mexico City.
The remainder were given 20 lashes for enlisted, 40 lashes for non-commissioned officers, and 50 for commissioned officers. All were branded with a "D" on the cheek, save for John Riley who received his 50 lashes (some say his lash-count was botched, and he received 59), his "D" and another " D" because the first one was put on upside-down, and then prison detention.
One unfortunate San Patriciano had had to have his legs amputated due to his wounds, but they took him from the hospital doing a basket carry to the gallows and hanged him anyway. This was also revolting to Mexican urban and religious sensibilities, but.....
More or less finally, and this is in no wise anything like a thorough and complete study, the War ended in Mexico City and in Mexico generally, but it was not over. Several battles were joined on the Baja Peninsula and along the Mexican Pacific Coast. Lopez de Santa Anna remained just east of Mexico City for several weeks, engaging American military presence and huffing and puffing about how he was the provisional Presidente de Mexico. He and his very reduced ranks finally threw in the towel about a month after the general cessation of hostilities. Before the mid-point of 1848, all was quiet on all fronts, but 99 per cent of the hostilities ended with the occupation of the City of Mexico.
It was said that John Riley died of his wounds and mistreatment by the Americans, compounded by the fact that he was thrown in jail by Mexico City police breaking up a barroom brawl...and languished in jail, finally winding up dead in 1850 at the age of 45. This was pretty much accepted as fact, but later research has reasonably established that John Riley left jail, paid a small fine, took his fame to Canada where he had lived before his arrival in America back in the early 1840s. It is thought he might have died in British Colombia in 1880. It is fairly well known that many foreign venturers in Mexico would state "I am Riley.... John Riley...'' in order to impress the folks, especially the ladies during those times.
Once in Canada, he became somewhat hermitic and supposedly spoke little about his service in Mexico. It was thought, however, that appreciative wealthy people in Mexico had given Riley an significant, discreet, endowment for his service.
El Gringo Viejo does not know what happened to the John Riley in question. I have not seen him, nor have I seen anyone credible who saw him, although I did see Jesse James and Elvis Presley at a bowling alley near here the other day. But Major John Riley, hero of the Batallon de San Patricio, Hero of Mexico was not with them. The Canadian story has a strong twang of credibility, however.
Thanks for your time and attention. We retire....
El Gringo Viejo
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