When World War I ended in November 1918, Henry Wallace (son of Lew and Susan) and his wife Margaret Noble Wallace were still in mourning. Just weeks earlier they lost their youngest son to the war.
Lew and Susan Wallace had one son Henry. Henry and his wife, Margaret Noble Wallace, had two sons. Their eldest was named Lew Jr. and their second son was named William Noble. Both grandsons would have made their grandfather proud with their service during World War I. If Lew Wallace was a hero in the Civil War, his grandson William should also be remembered for his valiant service.
According to a manuscript in the museum collection, among the earliest and most important influences on the young William Noble Wallace were those of his parents, Henry and Margaret, and his grandparents, Lew and Susan Wallace. According to the author of this manuscript, young William, or Noble as he was often called, developed his high sense of loyalty and patriotism, a tenacity of purpose and a determined mind from the men in his life. From the women he developed an extraordinary sweetness.
Nicknamed “Tee,” by his older brother Lew Jr., William Noble was born in 1895 and attended Indianapolis Public Schools. A handsome and dynamic young man, he had a stronger scholastic aptitude than his famous grandfather as he ultimately graduated from The Hill School, an exclusive preparatory school in Pennsylvania. He then enrolled in and graduated from Yale where he was a member of Hill School Club at Yale; the University Club, the university wrestling team; the Sword & Gun Club, Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Elihu Club.
Noble grew to be a most handsome man, but he was of small stature. His grandfather and father were both of above-average height and he hated being short. As a boy he decided to compensate for his lack of height by building up his body and his attitude. In athletics he excelled in sports that were individually challenging like boxing, wrestling, swimming and gymnastics rather than team sports. He was focused and proud, like Lew Wallace, and he could be rather pugnacious with an extreme independence of spirit—also like his grandfather Wallace. Noble was a very good fighter and sometimes had to be extricated from difficult situations by his older brother’s charm and diplomacy.
As a boy, Noble did not make friends easily because of his determined nature. He deeply envied his older brother, Lew, Jr. because of his remarkable charm and magnetism. Interestingly, the personalities and attributes of Lew Jr. and Noble were remarkably similar to those of their grandfather Lew Wallace and Lew’s older brother, William. Where Lew was proud, determined, independent of spirit, and challenging, William was affable and engaging. In his autobiography, Lew Wallace wrote of his brother, William: “My elder brother was in every point my opposite. Handsome, neat, polite, studious, obedient, respectful, he was a universal favorite.”
As William Noble Wallace grew to be a young man the underlying sweetness of his nature, his intellect, and his athletic prowess brought instant affection, great respect, and deep friendships. In his prep school and later at Yale, he tended to choose friends carefully for their fundamental strength of character rather than for their charm or social graces. This affection and ability to form significant friendships was widely acknowledged by those who knew him. If Noble deemed you a friend, there was an unbreakable bond. His time at Yale, his time in the French Ambulance corps, and his service as a Marine demonstrated a strength of character, independence, focus, and determination that reflected attributes of his grandfather Wallace.
A young man with spirit and drive he left Yale without graduating in 1916 to enlist in the American Field Ambulance Service with the French Army. He did this even though the United States had not yet entered the war. Serving as an ambulance driver for six months his unit received 3 citations, including the French Croix-de-Guerre with palm and the Fourragere for Souville-Tavanne. In December of 1916, he returned to Yale and finished his senior year, graduating in June of 1917. In July, he reenlisted and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He completed his training and in February of 1918, he sailed to France. In two different training classes, he graduated at the top of his class, again demonstrating a classroom aptitude foreign to his grandfather.
In June 1918, his command moved to Chateau Thierry and in the attack at Belleau Woods he led his platoon over the top of a hill in fighting as fierce as any Lew witnessed in the Civil War. Just a few weeks later in July, Tee took his platoon forward and was hit by piece of high explosive about noon while leading his men in the attack on Vierzy – the preliminary advance on Soissons. His regiment was cited by the French for this action and his company was awarded Croix-de-Guerre with palm. Tee was evacuated to Base Hospital No. 43 where he recovered.
Tee’s military career was exceptional. Where his grandfather Wallace served throughout the Civil War without serious injury, Tee was gravely injured several times; returning to active duty after each recovery. In late 1917, he obtained a short leave to be present at his brother’s wedding to Josephine Parrott in Indianapolis where he served as best man. During his visit, he met an old—but not terribly well-liked—acquaintance from his childhood. Although Tee was not particularly fond of the man, this fellow had great respect and affection for Tee and when the time came for them to part, he could not bring himself to say good-bye. According to others at the party, he announced: “Au revoir, Tee, Good luck!” Those present said that Tee, with a wistful smile, shook his head, put his hand on the man’s shoulder and said: “It’s good-bye, and the best of luck to you.”
In September 1918, he was recovering from wounds in a military hospital, and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant but, communications at the front being what they were, he never knew it. In the publication, Memorial Sketches Yale in the World War, it says he actually received this rank July 1 and the next day had been made a provisional Captain.
On October 7, he rejoined his command after his release from the hospital for the Meuse-Argonne offensive and was appointed Battalion Scout Officer. His company was withdrawn for replacement, but he was retained because of his sketching ability (perhaps an artistic trait inherited from Lew) and on October 9, he volunteered to map enemy positions on the front line with one other comrade. His mission was accomplished with great skill and daring, and as he was returning across open country to HQ on Blanc Mont ridge in the early dawn, he was struck by a shell and instantly killed. His partner survived. That night, with the aid of the regimental chaplain, he was buried by his men and a brother officer at the side of the road between Somme-Py and St.-Etienne. World War I ended just weeks later.
For his service, Tee was posthumously given the American Field Service Medal with letter from the French Ministry of War; a trophy was awarded in his memory by his friends at a track meet held by the Second Division Post, American Legion, in New York City; he received the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism; and he was given the Navy Cross. After the War, Henry travelled to France and reclaimed his son’s body. William Noble Wallace is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Crawfordsville with the rest of his family.
A fellow officer said: “In his last battle his company had lost 132 men in twenty minutes and was ordered to retire for replacement. But Lt. Wallace, owing to his indifference to high explosive shell fire and skill in sketching, was ordered to remain and sketch the ground in advance. He had accomplished this special mission and was returning to deliver his map when struck by a shell. No nobler life has been laid on the altar of Liberty.”
Tee was described by men who knew him in France as a “welcome figure in any group, courteous to all, subservient to none, accepting no favours he did not repay, owing no man, and owed by none, except for friendship. . . He was a friend to his friends, and above all a man right up to the last. There are those of us in the regiment who were, and are closer friends simply because we were friends of Tee. His friendship was something we had in common, and cherished together.”
His death at the age of 23 while completing a mission was a great loss and it would be hard to find a man who better exemplified the Marine motto of Semper Fidelis (always faithful). While Tee may have lacked the physical stature of his grandfather, he was clearly a man who stood head and shoulders above many, was a credit to the Wallace name, and deserves to be remembered for the life he lived.
In 2018, the museum received a photocopy of a letter that was put in a small Bible that a book collector purchased over thirty years ago at a book sale at the Pequot Library in Southport, Connecticut. A few years after the purchase, the letter was sold to a member of Tee’s 6th Regiment, but the collector made a copy of the original letter before releasing it and subsequently sent the copy to us. We do not know if this letter was received by the family before his death just a few weeks later.
The letter was written on August 21, 1918 from Base Hospital 43 by Tee Wallace to his mother, Margaret Noble Wallace. It reads:
Base Hospital 43
A.P.O. 726 August 21, 1918
Dearest Mother,
Sunday another “blesse,” [wounded one] an aviator, and I got a two-wheeled cart and drove out to Chambord. It was a fine hot day and I almost felt sorry for the tiny pony who struggled bravely along. It certainly was a wonderful chateau, enormous, with something like 430 bedrooms alone. I guess you’ve probably seen it, if you have, do you remember that wonderful double stairway? We had a fine supper at a café nearby and then drove back in the moonlight along the Loire. I certainly enjoyed it.
I’m getting along fine, although mighty restless to get out and get back again. I’ve been here a month today and that’s plenty long enough. I haven’t now even any sign of a limp—the last stages of healing seem to be the slowest. The doctor keeps saying “Oh, you’ll be out in three or four days” and maybe his statement will be true soon. I generally stay in bed till about noon and then get up and go down town to the Y.M.C.A. or to the barracks. Napoleon built the barracks which is now full of Americans and run as a regular military post. They have a good band there which comes around to our hospital and plays for an hour once a week. Right next to this hospital is a French one with a big garden out in back, and all the patients come out and climb up on the wall to listen to the band.
I’m hoping for some mail from you soon. I won’t tell you when I last heard from you for it would only worry you. I’ve never found out whether you ever got my insurance policy. Please tell me, for if you haven’t I want to look it up. And tell me where Lewis is now and how Jody [Josephine Parrott—wife of Lew, Jr.] is. It still seems funny to me to think that they are married for I’ve never seen them together as man and wife. I think he is most fortunate in being able to be with her as long as he has, for so many got married and then came right over here. The increasing number of Americans is quite noticeable, for almost every town is flooded with them, and one doesn’t’ really need to talk French any more. What about Dud Pfaff? What is he doing, still studying medicine? And is David with hospital 32 still? I wrote him there once but never got an answer. This new age limit for the draft will take another Dean [cousins] or so won’t it? I really believe the country is awake at last, and determined to get this job finished as soon as possible, and it’s great to see it.
Tell Pop I’ve got a few good pictures, but I’m at a loss to know where to keep them. We are so seldom in touch with our baggage, and furthermore most everything is eventually lost. I have different pieces of baggage scattered all over France it seems, and I’ve had to buy another uniform!
Lots & lots of Love and kisses
Your son,
Tee
Please be careful in addressing me. Be sure it’s this way.
83rd Co. 6th Regiment
U.S. Marines
American E.F.
A.P.O. 710
I try to write home once a week but no doubt many are lost, and also sometimes it’s impossible to do so, so please don’t worry when intervals come.
