Shreveport Martyr Father Louis Gergaud: In His Own Words

by Cheryl H. White, J.C. Smith, M.A. White

Experience the brilliant mind of a man who sacrificed his life for the people of Shreveport. From 1854 to 1873, Servant of God Father Louis Gergaud, native of Heric, France, served as a dedicated missionary priest in northeast Louisiana. These years, often fraught with hardships, culminated in his decision to offer his own life for the people of Shreveport during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873. The narrative of his life during these years, drawn from his own letters and papers, provide insightful commentary on issues as diverse as Catholic-Protestant relations in the nineteenth century South, the economics of commerce in an expanding nation, and the social impacts of the Civil War. Most importantly, these papers provide context to understand the character of a man whose heroic virtue led him to the sacrifice of his own life for strangers.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2023

About the author

Cheryl H. White, PhD, is a professor of history at Louisiana State University at Shreveport, where she has taught Medieval European and Christian Church history for twenty-five years. This is her sixth book title to be published with The History Press.

Reviews

[Laura Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little book about a French missionary priest serving in Louisiana before and during the civil war. I recall driving through many of the towns mentioned and found it interesting to learn about the church’s early days and the ministry clergy were involved in during that time.