What happened to members of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion at Chapultepec?

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How the Mexican-American War changed the U.S. forever — Mexican-American War Learn how the Mexican-American War ultimately pushed the United States closer to civil war.

During the Battle of Chapultepec, 30 captured members of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion—a group composed of Irish immigrants who had deserted the U.S. Army to fight for Mexico—were executed.1

U.S. Major General William Harney ordered these executions to take place at the precise moment the U.S. flag was raised to replace the Mexican flag atop the castle.1