[SAN PATRICIOS]. MARÍN, Juan de. El 20 de agosto de 1847. “Churubusco.” Glorioso recuerdo histórico por el Capitan 1o. de Caballería Juan de Marin. Mexico City: Imprenta de Guillermo Veraza, calle de la Canoa número 6½, 1887. [1-2], [2], 4-32 pp. 8vo (21.1 x 15.7 cm), original green printed wrappers, stitched. Upper wrapper with light water spotting, staining, and chipping, otherwise very good. Laid in from another copy are the first three leaves containing an ink manuscript presentation dated December 15, 1887, from “El Autor” to General Juan N. Méndez (1820–1894), who fought in most of Mexico’s nineteenth-century wars, including both the U.S. and French invasions. He also twice served as governor of Puebla.

First edition. Garrett & Goodwin, p. 162. Tutorow 3413: “A rare tract, a copy of which is in the United States Military Academy Library.”

The author relates, at least in part, memories of the battle of Churubusco, told him by his father, Francisco J. Marín, who participated in the action and toured the battlefield with the author in 1861. Included are official documents.

This narrative is somewhat unusual for the amount of sympathetic attention paid to the ill-fated San Patricios, a group of U.S.-Irish Catholics and others who deserted the U.S. cause and fought for the Mexicans. They are praised in highly flattering terms, and their treatment at U.S. hands is condemned. The casualty list notes that thirty five of them were killed and the rest captured (p. 21).