Book review: “Mississippi Bishop: William Henry Elder and the Civil War”

The author of “Mississippi Bishop: William Henry Elder and the Civil Way,” is Ryan Starrett. He is originally from Mississippi and received degrees from the University of Dallas, Spring Hill College and Adams State University. This book is his first solo project. He had access to Bishop William Elder's diary, records from the Diocese of Jackson, Miss., and other sources about the Civil War in Mississippi.  

William Henry Elder was born on March 22, 1819.  He attended schools in Maryland and was sent to Rome for his seminary studies. He was ordained there on March 29, 1846. He returned to Maryland and was a professor at Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Md. He was chosen to become the third bishop of Mississippi and was ordained a bishop in Baltimore, Md., on May 3, 1857. At that time, there were nine priests for the whole state of Mississippi with a Catholic population of 12,500, scattered across the state. The diocesan see was set in the city of Natchez, on the west side of the state along the Mississippi River. There were 42 churches and 12 schools for white children and three for black children.

The Civil War came to Mississippi when a majority of the state decided to secede and join the Confederate States of America. Some of Bishop Elder's priests served as chaplains in the Confederate Army in order to provide the sacraments to Catholic soldiers and help with the wounded. Bishop Elder, his priests and other Catholics tried to help any Catholics involved in the war because Catholics were a minority in the country and the state. Bishop Elder and his priests had a hard time ministering as the Union and Confederate commanders were not helpful to them. 

A church in Jackson, Miss., was burned down when the Union Army decided to burn buildings in the state capital. Bishop Elder and the priests had difficulty at times to get passes to travel and minster to their flock. They got lucky when they discovered a Catholic officer who would help them and they had a hard times when they came across an anti-Catholic officer. Bishop Elder was out in the field just like his priests. He could have stayed back in Natchez and avoided conflict, but he did not. Several times his horse was killed or stolen and he risked his life to help others. He was very brave. 

After the Civil War, Bishop Elder had to deal with a new flock that was white, black and those from the North during Reconstruction. This is where the book ends. Later, on Jan. 30, 1880, Bishop Elder was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati, Ohio, and became the second archbishop there in 1883. He died in Cincinnati on Oct. 31, 1904.

This book has many black and white photos and illustrations. There are end notes and a bibliography.  This book is highly recommended to those looking for a book about Catholicism in the mission-territory South during the Civil War.

Br. Benet Exton, O.S.B., Saint Gregory's Abbey, Shawnee, is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.