Synopses & Reviews
This fascinating true story about war, intrigue, defection to the enemy, and brutal military justice is a dramatic example of the conflicts that frequently arise between humanitarian values and inflexible military regulations.
Shamrock and Swordand#39;s setting is the U.S.-Mexican War, remembered by Americans as an illustration of Manifest Destiny, the inevitable extension of the American frontier. It is remembered differently by Mexicans, who lost a substantial portion of their territory to an invading army. Perceptions on both sides of the border will be reshaped by Robert Ryal Millerand#39;s account of American soldiers who deserted to fight in the Mexican army. Miller uncovers the reasons for these desertions, presenting the soldiersand#39; stories as they are revealed in records of the time. Many of these deserters were immigrant Irishmen.
Contrary to what has been supposed, however, the Saint Patrickand#39;s Battalion included men of a dozen nationalities. Choosing for different reasons to fight under the Mexican flag, all were treated as deserters, and those captured were court-martialed by the U.S. Army. Fifty were executed; others were whipped and branded. The leader of the group, John Riley, was branded with a D on both cheeks. The Mexican government, on the other hand, viewed the men of the Saint Patrickand#39;s Battalion as heroes, awarding them honors and erecting a monument to them.
Review
"Miller thoroughly investigates every legend about the battalion
and the individuals who served in it....Miller's book is both a detailed
history of the San Patricios and a good brief summary of the entire U.S. Mexican War." Journal of Arizona History
Synopsis
Shamrock and Sword is the story of the St. Patrick's Battalion (San Patricios), which was composed primarily of American soldiers who chose to fight under the Mexican flag in the U.S. Mexican War. More than two hundred American deserters (many of them Irish immigrants) joined the Mexican
army to fight against their former countrymen.
Synopsis
Shamrock and Swordand#39;s setting is the U.S.-Mexican War, remembered by Americans as an illustration of Manifest Destiny, the inevitable extension of the American frontier. It is remembered differently by Mexicans, who lost a substantial portion of their territory to an invading army. Perceptions on both sides of the border will be reshaped by Robert Ryal Millerand#39;s account of American soldiers who deserted to fight in the Mexican army. Miller uncovers the reasons for these desertions, presenting the soldiersand#39; stories as they are revealed in records of the time. Many of these deserters were immigrant Irishmen.
About the Author
Robert Ryal Miller, Professor Emeritus of History at California State University, Hayward, is the author of Mexico: A History.