Many may not have heard of the name, General Lew Wallace. Wallace's military career included service in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. He was appointed Indiana's adjutant general and commanded the 11th Indiana Infantry Regiment. Wallace, who attained the rank of major general, participated in the Battle of Fort Donelson, the Battle of Shiloh, and the Battle of Monocacy. He also served on the military commission for the trials of the Lincoln assassination conspirators and presided over the trial of Henry Wirz, the Confederate commandant of the Andersonville prison camp.
Wallace resigned from the U.S. Army in November 1865 and briefly served as a major general in the Mexican army, before returning to the United States. Wallace was appointed governor of the New Mexico Territory (1878–1881) and served as U.S. minister to the Ottoman Empire (1881–1885) modern-day Turkey. Wallace retired to his home in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he continued to write until his death in 1905.
While General Wallace had an exceptional military career he was basically unschooled. However, he loved to read. He read many books on military tactics and strategy which played a major part in his ability as a military leader. But what General Lew Wallace is most noted for is the book he wrote entitled, "Ben Hur." This is his den/man cave he had built using some of the proceeds from his rights to that book.
@marlboromaam@seattlite@ianjb21@kvphoto - The red brick used to build his study was vitrified brick from Akron, Ohio. It is unbelievably smooth and almost looks non-porous. There is very little mortar between the brick. Our guide said that local brick makers were upset that he had decided to not use locally made bricks.
