Smoke, Sound And Fury: The Civil War Memoirs of Major-general Lew Wallace, U. S. Volunteers - Softcover

Summing up a man like General Lew Wallace is an impossible task. But on a visit to his personal study, one can catch glimpses of a true American hero. Wallace built his study essentially in his backyard in Crawfordsville, Indiana and filled it with his extensive library, paintings, inventions, and personal mementos. After a lifetime of service to his country—militarily, diplomatically, and culturally—Wallace desired a place to reflect on his life and write his memoirs. In a letter to his wife, Susan, General Wallace dreamed of his study:

I want a study, a pleasure-house for my soul, where no one could hear me make speeches to myself, and play the violin at midnight if I chose. A detached room away from the world and its worries. A place for my old age to rest in and grow reminiscent, fighting the battles of youth over again.

During his lifetime, Wallace gained tremendous fame and success. Upon his death in 1905, fans and curious visitors began a pilgrimage to the study and they continue to this day. The site now known as the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum will celebrate its centennial in 2005. Although Wallace’s greatest work, Ben-Hur, has never been out of print, his other books and those by his wife, Susan Wallace, have only been published sporadically. With this series, produced by Polyglot Press, a new generation of readers will have the opportunity to read the literary works of Susan and Lew Wallace. And, older readers will enjoy reading these works again or discovering volumes previously unavailable.

Born in Brookville, Indiana in 1827, Lew Wallace had a spirited childhood romping in the Hoosier wilderness and causing mischief. An unruly student, Lew abandoned his studies at age sixteen. Soon after, he pursued a law career, following in the footsteps of his father, David Wallace, sixth governor of the state of Indiana. However, soldiering was Lew’s passion. During the Mexican War in 1846, Lew served as 2nd Lieutenant of the Company H of the 1st Indiana Infantry and was forever enamored with the military life.

Returning to Indiana, Wallace met and married Susan Elston while establishing a successful law practice in Covington. A native of Crawfordsville, Susan was the daughter of a prominent banker, Isaac Elston. After re-locating to Crawfordsville shortly after the birth of Lew and Susan’s only son, Henry, Wallace organized the Montgomery Guards in 1856. Under Lew’s leadership, the Guards, a Zouave unit, gained statewide renown as one of the best trained military units in the state.

With the advent of the Civil War, Wallace served as adjutant general of the state, a job he kept for only ten days. An effective recruiter, the federal government requested six regiments, and in five days there were thirteen at Camp Morton in Indianapolis. With that accomplishment, Wallace resigned his post to accept a commission as Colonel of the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which included many members of the Montgomery Guards. In less than a year, Lew Wallace was the one of the youngest Union Army major general at age 34.

Wallace and the 11th Indiana were at Ft. Henry, Ft. Donelson, and Shiloh. But his greatest accomplishment was at the Battle of Monocacy, while in command of the 8th Army Corps at Baltimore. This pivotal battle, in 1864, is credited with saving Washington, DC from the Confederacy. Although terribly outnumbered, Wallace fought a delaying action that kept Jubal Early outside of the Capitol for 24 hours, giving General Ulysses S. Grant time to send reinforcements to the city. By the time Early’s troops reached CD, the city was well defended and forced his retreat after a small skirmish.

After serving as second-in-command of the court martial that tried the Lincoln conspirators and as president of the court which tried Henry Wirz, Commander of Andersonville Prison, Wallace resigned his commission in 1865 and returned to Crawfordsville. Resuming his law practice, Wallace s

"Ample proof that Lew Wallace has been a fighter as well as writer." -- Literary Digest

"Deals with the civil war, in detail, descriptively, narratively, and controversially." -- New York Times

"He writes with the pictorial vividness of an eyewitness and with the verve of one who narrates personal experience." -- Harper's Weekly