System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Lew Wallace
1827 - 1905
Lew Wallace, Union Civil War general, and author of the famous book about the fictional Ben Hur, died in 1905. He was 77.
Wallace was born in Brookville, Indiana on April 10, 1827. His father was elected Indiana governor in 1837. He studied law as a clerk in his father's office.
In 1846, he organized a group of Indiana volunteers to fight in the Mexican War. Wallace was first lieutenant of the 1st Indiana Volunteers.
After the war, he became a lawyer in Indianapolis. He began a career in politics, first serving as prosecuting attorney in Covington and then as an Indiana state legislator in 1856. Before the Civil War began, Wallace was serving as state adjutant general.
At the outbreak of the war, Wallace's prior military experience helped get him a commission as colonel of the 11th Indiana. By September 1861 Wallace had been promoted to brigadier general of volunteers.
Under Wallace's command, the 11th Indiana helped capture Fort Donelson. As result he was promoted to major general in March 1862.
In 1863, he helped to successfully defend Cincinnati against rebel attack. Assuming command of the 8th Army Corps, he helped defend Washington, D.C. against the forces of a much larger rebel army in the middle of 1864.
After the war, Wallace was a member of the court-martial board which determined the fate of the conspirators in the Lincoln assassination. He also set on the board which sent Andersonville prison camp commandant Henry Wirz to the gallows.
Wallace went on to help organize anti-Maximilian forces in Mexico. He was also governor of the territory of New Mexico, and was appointed by President James Garfield to serve a four-year term as minister to Turkey.
But Wallace may be best remembered for his writing career which included the authoring of several books, the most noted being Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. In the 20th century, his novel was adapted to both a silent and sound movie. The 1959 version, starring Charlton Heston as Ben Hur won 11 Oscars, including Best Actor for Heston.
Wallace died in Crawfordsville, Indiana on February 15, 1905. He is buried in the city's Oak Hill Cemetery.
