The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-21
PAPlST DESERTERS IN MEXICO
Monument Marh SpO, Where Thirteen Paid the Deu Penuty
0tksn Of 0RdlJs Brigade We're Court hGalsd Lashsd Eh
a Caf.0'-kns Tals and Branded VIII the Letter ID"

The following article from the
New York Herald Of Oct. 4. 1914,
reveals q biz Of history connected
with the Mexican war Of the
forties that the papiSt hero max
ers never mention. Says the
Herald:
Near San Augs, one Of the weIi
lnovn suburbs 81 Ms1ico City and q
favorits residsnos place Tor foreigners.
h a lArgs white eross standing bsnoath
the uidesproaeIng limbs Of . giant
oak b. ne roadside. This cross maTkt
Ne Pot where thirteen dsssrtoFs from
the Amsrican army during the Mc1ioEn
uaf net au tgn0miniors death BY hang.
lAg. .These dsscrtefs we're members Of
he notorioas body somcsimes referred
10 b. writers ~ O'RsIIly' . Brigade and
sonstimcs ~ the Brigade Of 81 Pat.
fiek- IL uAs upward Of one thousand
strong. and vas recruited almost cn.
tiroly from dessrters from the American
army befors and during The war with
Msxioo.
During the lighting jus, pr0r 70 the
,apture Of Merioo City this brigade Do
tended q stone bridge not far from
Fhere The cross now stands, bat vas
dnAlly defeated after a long and bloody
agkt, = large number Of the renogades
being killed and many taken prisoner
The latter were at once courtmartialed
and those Who had deserted after the
commencement Of hostilities were sen
ionced 10 immediate death, while those
Who had deserted prior 10 the war we're
laAhed with q cato mine tails, branded
on the left eheek with I'D" for de-.
serter and Sentenced 10 imprisonment.
Those condemned % die were hanged
from the limbs Of the tree beneath which
the cross now siAhds The hanging took
place on the sans day that the castle
Of 0Apultepce was captured. II is re-
lated that each condemned man was
made 20 stand on the back end Of a
wagon directly beneath the limb 20 which
the halter around his neck was attached
The tree was In full view Of the hght-
ing that was In progress AZ the citadel,
and the condemned were kept in this
position while they watched the combat
until At last the stars and Stripes were
seen floating over the walls Of the
castlA Then the word was given. the
drivers lssbed their mules and the trait.
ors 10 their flag were hanged.
After the war this cross was erected
10 their memory by some of their com.
rades, though one will ask the nearby
residents in vain Of the object and or.
igin Of the monument. With the e1eep-
tion of the letters 81. N. r. II on a
metal scroll attached to the top OF the
cross, all the, remainder Of the inscrip-
ton Is Of pictorial character, and most
curious Il r.
Beginning 81 the top, the pictorial 10.
scriptions are as follows: On the left
arm OF the cross are three dice-tbe five,
four and aee-the Eve spot resting above
the other two. On the right arm is an
old fashioned lantern. just below the
crossing Of the arms is a Neptune tri-
dent. Beneath this is a ladder, followed
by a three thonged "eat." Next Is a
pitcher and then a blacksmith's ham.
mer and a pair Of pincers crossed. I'm
derneath this is a rooster, and last Of
all, a sknn and crosshones. On the
sides Of the pedestal arc some inserip.
tions which are so nearly obliterated as
to bear no resemblance 20 any design.
O'Reilly, the commander Of the bri.
gade, was captured with the others, but
as Il was proved that no deserted prior
70 the commencement of the war be es-
capped with his life, though he was
branded on both checks through some
mistake, Of the man charged with the
grewsome task. The remnants Of the
brigade took part in several campaigns
after the Americans left the country.