The Fr. Abram J. Ryan Archive
at Belmont Abbey College
Fr. Abram J. Ryan was a 19th century poet and priest who served as a chaplain
for the Confederacy. His writings garnered increasing attention after the Civil
War, gaining him the epithet "Poet-Priest of the South." Numerous editions of
his collected poems were published nationally. Margaret Mitchell included Fr.
Ryan in her novel Gone with the Wind, and upon his death in 1886 his
obituary was carried by newspapers across the nation, including the New York
Times. His life and works continue to be topics of articles in the popular press
and scholarly literature. This website describes and selectively illustrates the
contents of the Fr. Abram J. Ryan Archive, located in the Abbot Vincent Taylor
Library on the campus of Belmont Abbey College, near Charlotte NC. The archive
includes photographs, original handwritten letters, unpublished poems,
unpublished autobiographical notes, early newspaper clippings, and memorabilia. This project is 100% supported with federal LSTA funds made possible
through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered
by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural
Resources.
Go to ARCHIVE
CONTENTS
Unpublished Poems & Transcripts
Editions & Early Publishing History