Lew Wallace is widely remembered for the successful movie interpretations of his masterwork Ben-Hur in 1925 and 1959. These were not the only times the General’s name (and even the General) showed up in Hollywood movies. In 1914, Wallace’s book, The Prince of India, was adapted as a silent movie. […]
Lew Wallace
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Lew Wallace was what today would be called an alternative learner. In his much-less-polite day, many in Indianapolis referred to Lew, the governor’s son, as rascal and worse. As a youth running around the capital city, Lew and his friends found their way into the basement of the governor’s house. […]
Gifts from the Sultan Lew Wallace’s tour of duty as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire ended in 1884. His friend, Sultan Abdul Hamid II, offered Lew a number of gifts. These included Arabian horses, jewels, and works of art. As a representative of the government of […]
According to the Department of Defense, Armed Forces Day was created in 1949, which means Lew would never have celebrated it. It would probably have been an important holiday to him, however. Lew was very proud of his military service and remained active in veterans’ associations and war memorial efforts. […]
It might surprise you to learn that Lew Wallace may have celebrated Cinco de Mayo. But the idea isn’t as crazy as you might think! Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Lew was busy with the aftermath of the Battle of Shiloh in the […]
The conservation movement was in its infancy when Lew Wallace was alive. An avid sportsman, including hunting and fishing, Lew loved the outdoors. The Grand Kankakee Marsh One of Lew Wallace’s favorite places on earth was the Grand Kankakee Marsh that spread across Northwestern Indiana into Illinois. Over the course […]
Lew Wallace’s fame generates from his literary masterpiece Ben-Hur. He is generally given credit for writing three novels of historical fiction. The Fair God: The Last of the ‘Tizins (1873), Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880); and The Prince of India; or, Why Constantinople Fell (1893). While these three major […]
“A victory so great, so unprecedentedly glorious, could not have been purchased without loss on our side. Among the 700 heroes who were slain and wounded on that bloody day we who knew him from infancy have to mourn the death of Captain Kinder. Poor Truss. The glory which shall […]
The Spirit Photo Craze The impact of the Civil War was felt in many ways. One of the more unusual was in the passion that developed for spirit photography, a process in which photographers were able to capture the image of a ghost or other spiritual entity. Photography was still […]
On January 10, 1910, the United States Capitol hosted a stirring unveiling ceremony for the statue of General Lew Wallace in Statuary Hall. After an invocation, Lew Wallace, Jr., the general’s grandson, unveiled the statue. The crowd included members of Lew Wallace’s family, James Whitcomb Riley, and Senator Albert J. […]