John Riley (soldier)
John Patrick Riley (Irish: Seán Pádraic Ó Raghallaigh), also known as John Patrick O'Riley, (c. 1817 – August 1850?) was an Irish soldier in the British Army who emigrated to the United States and subsequently enlisted in the United States Army. During the Mexican-American War of 1846-48, Riley led a number of other Irish Catholics in the ranks who defected to Mexico, where they formed the Saint Patrick's Battalion in the Mexican Army.
Early life
Riley was born in Clifden, County Galway, Ireland around 1817-1818; his original Irish name is Seán Ó Raghailligh. Riley served with the British Army before emigrating to Canada. Connemara and other rural regions suffered greatly during the Great Famine, and millions of people emigrated by ship from Ireland to Canada and the United States to survive.
Immigration to the United States
Soon after his arrival in the United States in Michigan, Riley enlisted in the US Army. Many immigrants were recruited in the 1840s; some served just to earn some money, as they had usually fled famine and severe poverty in their home countries.