The Contrasting Legacies of Confederate Priests Abram Ryan and Darius Hubert, S.J

Father Abram Ryan (1838–1886), author of the patriotic poems "The Conquered Banner" and "The Sword of Robert Lee," is prominently associated with Confederate aspiration and defeat. Called the "Poet of the Lost Cause" and "Poet-Priest of the South" by recent biographers, Ryan helped memorialize the Confederacy through poetry and public oratory. Scholarly recognition of Ryan has helped correct a view of the Lost Cause as an over-whelmingly Protestant evangelical phenomenon. Compared to Ryan, the French-born Jesuit, Father Darius Hubert (1823–1893), is much less known today, though he was comparably ardent in serving and honoring the cause and, by the time of his death, was among the best-known priests of the South. Despite their common dedication to the Confederacy, their lives are a study in contrast. Ryan's political passions and allegiances were not well integrated with his priestly vocation and caused friction with brother priests and superiors. Hubert's, however, were subsumed quite naturally and consistently with the faith he embraced and pledged to serve.