Digital Archive
John Riley, Mexico City, to his former employer, Charles O'Malley, Mackinac, Michigan, 27 October 1847
Luaigh an doiciméad seo Amharcóir IIIF
Bailiúchán Riley/ San Patricios Letters
Title John Riley, Mexico City, to his former employer, Charles O'Malley, Mackinac, Michigan, 27 October 1847
Description Extraordinary letter by John Riley, an Irish immigrant who deserted from the U.S. Army and led the [in]famous San Patricio Battalion of Irish immigrants and other deserters, who joined the Mexican Army and fought against the Americans, with great success until captured and executed, in the US-Mexican War of 1846-48. Riley is proud of, and justifies, his conduct in his letter to O'Malley, an emigrant from County Mayo and an affluent merchant, land speculator, and office-holder in Mackinac. Perhaps naively, Riley seems to assume that O'Malley will approve of his conduct, especially since he and his men fought under an Irish nationalist flag. The letter also sheds some light on the Irish immigrant community of Mackinac, most of whose members were probably lumber workers. Because he had deserted before the official declaration of war, Riley escaped execution and, apparently, disappeared in Mexico. Statues honoring the Battalion are very common in Mexico. [Having deserted the United States Army prior to its invasion of Mexico in April, 1846, Riley and several others escaped death at the termination of hostilitie, being instead whipped and branded. Riley also laments the death of fifty-one of his "best and bravest men" hung by the American army especially his first lieutenant, Patrick Dalton, from Ballina (Tirawley Barony) in Co. Mayo].
Date 27/10/1847
Date Issued 27/03/2023
Cineál Acmhainne Text
Archival Record Id p155/24/3
Publisher University of Galway
Extent 8pp
Topic Riley/ San Patricios Letters
Geographic Mexico City,Mexico,Mackinac (county),Michigan,United States
Temporal Nineteenth century,Eighteen forties
Genre Transcript,Reproduction
Note Title, description and transcript text by Professor Kerby Miller.
Creator / Author Name John Riley