Lewis Wallace

Author Code: ALWX

Wallace left school when he was 16 and took a job as a clerk. He then served in the Mexican War from 1846 to 1847. He was admitted to the bar in 1849 and practiced law in Indianapolis. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Wallace attained the rank of major general of volunteers, served on the courts of inquiry that condemned the commander of the Andersonville prisoner of war camp, Capt. Henry Wirz, and also served on the court that tried conspirators against President Lincoln. He returned to his law practice after the war and became governor of New Mexico (1878-81) and minister to Turkey (1881-85). Wallace is best remembered as an author for his historical drama, Ben-Hur (1880), however, he also wrote two other excellent historical novels, The Fair God (1873) and The Prince of India (1893).