Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Biography of a Legendary American Writer and Military Officer
Full Name and Common Aliases
Lew Wallace's full name was Lewis Randall Wallace. He is commonly known as Lew Wallace.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on April 10, 1827, in Brotherton, New York, Lew Wallace passed away on February 15, 1905, at the age of 77.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Wallace was an American writer, military officer, politician, and lawyer. He served as a general during the Civil War and later became a prominent figure in the Democratic Party.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a family that valued education, Lew Wallace had a strong foundation for his future pursuits. His father, Rev. Lewis Wallace, was an abolitionist minister who instilled in him a deep respect for human rights. After completing his primary education, Lew attended the University of Michigan where he studied law.
Major Accomplishments
Lew Wallace's military career spanned several decades and included notable roles during the American Civil War:
Commander at Fort Donelson: In 1862, he played a crucial role in capturing the Confederate stronghold, leading to a significant Union victory.
Governor of New Mexico: After the war, Wallace served as governor from 1878 to 1881 and implemented progressive policies that earned him national recognition.
Notable Works or Actions
Wallace's literary career was marked by several notable works:
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ: Considered his magnum opus, this historical novel has become a classic in American literature.
*The Prince of India: Set during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, this novel showcases Wallace's interest in Eastern cultures.Impact and Legacy
Lew Wallace's life has had a lasting impact on American society:
Advocate for Human Rights: Throughout his career, Wallace consistently advocated for the rights of marginalized communities, including African Americans and Native Americans.
Inspiration to Later Writers: His literary works have influenced generations of writers, including authors like Harold Bell Wright.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Lew Wallace's quotes are frequently cited due to their wisdom and insight into human nature:
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
* "The highest glory in the earth...is the right to govern oneself."
His legacy as a writer, military officer, and advocate for human rights continues to inspire people today.
Quotes by Lew Wallace
As a rule, he fights well who has wrongs to redress; but vastly better fights he who, with wrongs as a spur, has also steadily before him a glorious result in prospect – a result in which he can discern balm for wounds, compensation for valor, remembrance and gratitude in the event of death.
Men speak of dreaming as if it were a phenomenon of night and sleep. They should know better. All results achieved by us are self-promised, and all self-promises are made in dreams awake. Dreaming is the relief of labor, the wine that sustains us in act. We learn to love labor, not for itself, but for the opportunity it furnishes for dreaming, which is the great under-monotone of real life, unheard, unnoticed, because of its constancy. Living is dreaming. Only in the grave are there no dreams.
A man can carry his mind with him as he carries his watch; but like the watch, to keep it going he must keep it wound up. Of.
A word as to the pleasure there is in the thought of a Soul in each of us. In the first place, it robs death of its terrors by making dying a change for the better, and burial but the planting of a seed from which there will spring a new life.
The architect had not stopped to bother about columns and porticos, proportions or interiors, or any limitation upon the epic he sought to materialize; he had simply made a servant of Nature – art can go no further.
Heaven may be won, not by the sword, not by human wisdom, but by Faith, Love, and Good Works.
To begin a reform, go not into the places of the great and rich; go rather to those whose cups of happiness are empty – to the poor and humble.
