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 […]
Lew Wallace
67 posts
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. […]
We talk a lot about Lew and Susan Wallace here at the blog, but someone who isn’t mentioned often is Lew’s father David Wallace. David attended West Point Military Academy and began practicing law in Indiana in 1823. He served in the Indiana State Legislature from 1828 to 1830. In […]
Since Veterans Day wasn’t established until 1919 (as Armistice Day), you may wonder about the title of this blog post. But although Veterans Day was not observed in Lew’s day, Decoration Day (the precursor to Memorial Day) was. Lew was also very interested in the fate of veterans, and remained […]
Lew Wallace is probably most famous as the author of Ben-Hur, which was the best-selling novel of the 20th century, but he wrote other novels, and they weren’t all as well-received as Ben-Hur. The following is a letter written to him by a doctor from Colorado: Dear Sir, Perhaps advice […]
Mary “Haute” Booth Tarkington was one of the leaders of a theatrical group which was established in Indianapolis in 1889. The Matinee Club Originally called the Matinee Club, the group formed to provide private performances. Twenty-five women from the city’s leading families formed the group. The all-woman group first performed in […]
Did you know that Lew Wallace was crazy about fishing? Lew had a moat on two sides of the Study and stocked it so he could fish from the back porch. In the winter, he could fire up the coal furnace in the Study basement and stick his fishing pole […]
As a youth, Lew Wallace managed to develop a reputation as a truant and a rascal. He used any number of excuses to avoid education and undertake adventure in the great outdoors. He joined “The Red Eye and the Hay Press Club,” a group of boys who met in a […]
Part of the work of an historian is to record and preserve all history, not just the pleasant parts. This post recounts a scandalous event involving Lew Wallace’s brother William. The scandal that enveloped the Indianapolis National Bank also affected many of Indiana’s most influential people. The Indianapolis National Bank […]
In 1865, Lew Wallace played a role in two important trials at the conclusion of the Civil War. He served as a judge on the tribunal handling the case against the Lincoln Conspirators. In addition, he served as the lead judge in the trial of Commander Henry Wirz of Andersonville. […]