Allusions
The book glosses over the story of the Saint Patrick's Battalion, portraying the actions of Scott in a positive light. Notably, the book changes the hanging of the men during the storming of Chapultepec to one where the about to be hanged deserters cheer on the US Army and the presiding officer delays the hanging so the condemned men can see the outcome of the battle.
In reality, Scott ordered the men to wait in the gallows until the United States flag was raised over the fort.
The presiding officer also ordered a man with two amputated legs dragged to the gallows, commenting "Bring the damned son of a bitch out! My order was to hang 30 and by God I'll do it!"
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