WALLACE, Lew
Source: Chicago Inter Ocean Sat 8 May 1886 p
11
Chicago – What are the political and religious
affiliations of General Lew Wallace/ Give a brief sketch of his life and
works…P
Answer: General Lew Wallace has been openly identified with the Republican party ever since the war. As to his religious opinions he is not himself a member of any church, but as his wife is an earnest Methodist he usually attends the ME Church. The General is a son of Governor David Wallace, a well known politician in Indiana’s early history who served in the state assembly for many years, was also Governor and Representative in Congress. Lewis was born in Fountain County, Indiana in 1828. He studied law and began practice in Crawfordsville, but during the Mexican War enlisted in the First Indiana Volunteers and received a Lt’s commission. He afterward resumed his profession, and served one term in the State Senate. When the civil war broke out he was appointed Adjutant General of the State volunteers and afterward was made colonel of a regiment of Zouaves, which he led at the battle of Romney, W VA. Returning to his native state, he raised the 11th Indiana of which he was made Colonel and Sept 3, 1861, he was commissioned brigadier general of volunteers. He led a division at the capture of Ft. Donelson where he won the grade of major general of volunteers to date from March 4, 1861. He was conspicuous for his gallantry at Shiloh and served with credit at Corinth and subsequent engagements. In 1863 he was in command of a large force sent to garrison Cincinnati then threatened with rebel invasion. In June 1864, he commanded at Monocacy, Md where he was defeated by General Early, and subsequently he was superceded in command of the Middle Department by General Ord. He resigned his commission in Nov 1865. In 1881 he went to Constantinople as US Minister and in 1882 was made Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleuipopentiary at the same capital. His first novel, The Fair God, was written in the occasional brief leisure of his public life and was published in 1873. Its success induced him to contemplate another effort and in 1880 Ben Hur, a Tale of the Christ – in some respects one of the most remarkable works of fiction of the time – was given to the world. It is said that General Wallace was first led to fix upon the time and place of this work by hearing a lecture from the noted skeptic, Colonel Ingersoll. The General is include, both by early education and later conviction to a strong faith in the historical truth of Christianity. The skeptical lecturer strengthened rather than weakened this faith and inclined him to think that if the story of Christ could be brought before the mind of men, not as a tradition but as a living reality, the scoffs of unbelievers would have less influence with them. He therefore wrote his “Tale of the Christ” which for vivid portraiture of past times and characters has been surpassed by none of those works classed as historical fiction.
Answer: General Lew Wallace has been openly identified with the Republican party ever since the war. As to his religious opinions he is not himself a member of any church, but as his wife is an earnest Methodist he usually attends the ME Church. The General is a son of Governor David Wallace, a well known politician in Indiana’s early history who served in the state assembly for many years, was also Governor and Representative in Congress. Lewis was born in Fountain County, Indiana in 1828. He studied law and began practice in Crawfordsville, but during the Mexican War enlisted in the First Indiana Volunteers and received a Lt’s commission. He afterward resumed his profession, and served one term in the State Senate. When the civil war broke out he was appointed Adjutant General of the State volunteers and afterward was made colonel of a regiment of Zouaves, which he led at the battle of Romney, W VA. Returning to his native state, he raised the 11th Indiana of which he was made Colonel and Sept 3, 1861, he was commissioned brigadier general of volunteers. He led a division at the capture of Ft. Donelson where he won the grade of major general of volunteers to date from March 4, 1861. He was conspicuous for his gallantry at Shiloh and served with credit at Corinth and subsequent engagements. In 1863 he was in command of a large force sent to garrison Cincinnati then threatened with rebel invasion. In June 1864, he commanded at Monocacy, Md where he was defeated by General Early, and subsequently he was superceded in command of the Middle Department by General Ord. He resigned his commission in Nov 1865. In 1881 he went to Constantinople as US Minister and in 1882 was made Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleuipopentiary at the same capital. His first novel, The Fair God, was written in the occasional brief leisure of his public life and was published in 1873. Its success induced him to contemplate another effort and in 1880 Ben Hur, a Tale of the Christ – in some respects one of the most remarkable works of fiction of the time – was given to the world. It is said that General Wallace was first led to fix upon the time and place of this work by hearing a lecture from the noted skeptic, Colonel Ingersoll. The General is include, both by early education and later conviction to a strong faith in the historical truth of Christianity. The skeptical lecturer strengthened rather than weakened this faith and inclined him to think that if the story of Christ could be brought before the mind of men, not as a tradition but as a living reality, the scoffs of unbelievers would have less influence with them. He therefore wrote his “Tale of the Christ” which for vivid portraiture of past times and characters has been surpassed by none of those works classed as historical fiction.