▁Gen . ▁Win field ▁Scott , ▁de pl ores ▁the ▁war , ▁but ▁he ▁ob e ys ▁his ▁commander - in - ch ief . ▁ ▁As ▁it ▁becomes ▁increasing ly ▁evident ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁is ▁being ▁lost ▁by ▁Mexico , ▁R iley ' s ▁men ▁debate ▁what ▁to ▁do . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁difference ▁between ▁desert ion ▁and ▁tre ason . ▁Those ▁who ▁desert ed ▁before ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁are ▁taken ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁will ▁be ▁l ashed ▁and ▁brand ed ; ▁those ▁who ▁desert ed ▁after ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁war ▁will ▁be ▁h anged ▁as ▁tra itors . ▁They ▁decide ▁to ▁die ▁as ▁men ▁fighting ▁for ▁freedom . ▁When ▁they ▁finally ▁lose , ▁Cort ina ▁has ▁escaped ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁forces , ▁and ▁the ▁Irish ▁are ▁taken ▁prisoner . ▁Many ▁of ▁them ▁are ▁still ▁officially ▁British ▁citizens , ▁having ▁never ▁yet ▁been ▁granted ▁the ▁U . S . ▁citizens hip ▁they ▁had ▁first ▁been ▁promised ▁for ▁en list ing ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army . ▁General ▁Win field ▁Scott ▁utter ly ▁reject s ▁the ▁appeal ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Government , ▁presented ▁by ▁Col . ▁N ex or , ▁to ▁recognize ▁R iley ' s ▁men ▁as ▁Mexican ▁citizens ▁and ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ; ▁protest s ▁have ▁come ▁in ▁from ▁all ▁the ▁nations ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁den oun cing ▁their ▁pun ishment ▁as ▁bar bar ic ▁and ▁an ▁utter ▁contradiction ▁of ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution . ▁Scott ▁is ▁ad am ant : ▁the