Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

276 THE BATTALION OF SAN PATRICIO.
pelled to "1 rough it'9 in the chaparral. By this procedure,
of which no experienced volunteer officer will ever complain,
the enemy gained rather more than was expected, namely9
the notorious battalion of San Pactricio, made up of deserters from our regular army, who availed themselves of opportunities presented while in garrison, to abandon the service
of "6 the model republic."2 More than fifty deserted at Miionterey, during the period it was occupied by the regulars.
These the enemy joyfully received and speedily enrolled in
their ranks, where they served with a courage and fidelity
they had never exhibited in ours. Doubtless, the humblest
soldier of the battalion of Saint Patrick, was honored with
much consideration by the ]M:iexicans; and we may imagine
that those distinctions were not lavished in vain upon the
warm and enthusiastic nature of the iliberniano
So far as I am informed not a single volunteer, either
among the native or adopted citizens, went over to the
enemy. There were some who, voluntering in haste and
repenting at leisure, deserted their flag before leaving the
United States and returned to their " anxious mammas," But
was there one so faithless to his country, as to take up arms
in the cause of faithless MIexico 2. Nearly a third of our
regiment were Catholics; and among them were seventy or
eighty gallant Irishmen, some of whom, I have reason to
know, were proof against the fscinating lures of an insidious
fbe. When stationed in IM onterey, they more than once
k Since writing the above, I have been reminded that a lieutenant of a certain
volunteer corps resigned with a view of joining the enemy. He left Monterey with
the words of Cataline upon his lips, —" I held some slack allegiance till this hour,
but now my sword's my own."