A passion to learn more about General Lew Wallace started in 1959 when a young Crawfordsville boy watched the iconic movie, Ben-Hur, at the Strand.
Five-year old Michael E. Fox was enthralled with what he saw on the big screen, and when he later learned the movie was adapted from a book written by Wallace, he had to know more.
As a fourth grade student, Fox recalls visiting the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum, where his interest in Wallace grew.
Fox, who graduated in 1971 from Crawfordsville High School, recently wrote a book entitled “Lew, The Life and Times of the Author of Ben Hur.” The book is a result of a lifetime of studying the iconic Wallace.
Initially, Fox wrote the book for just his family. He did not imagine it would be published.
“At the age of 62 I had a health issue and it made me start thinking about where I was in life,” Fox said. “I decided I wanted to leave something for my kids so I started writing the book. My family kept insisting I find a publisher.”
Fox said he sent the book to 20 publishers. After some time, one publisher agreed to publish the book and now it is available for sale.
Fox admits he had another deep desire to write about Wallace. He does not want people to forget what a diversified and successful man the general was and should be held with high esteem.
“I was afraid Lew Wallace would be forgotten and that would be a bad thing,” Fox said.
Fox is a self-described Civil War enthusiast. He said his business profession led him to live in southern states such as North Caroline and Georgia which allowed him to learn
a lot about the Civil War in the southern perspective of the war.
Wallace’s name comes up often in Civil War history. He was involved with the Battle of Shiloh and he is credited for saving Washington, D.C.
One of the interesting aspects about Wallace is that he was trained as a lawyer, but the job did not suit him. He ventured out to many adventures including a military general, inventor, author, government official, elite horseman and other endeavors.
Fox sees a little bit of Wallace in his own life and how they both found early on being an attorney was not for them.
“I was an attorney for a while before entering the business world,” White said. “Lew started at the age of 16 as a clerk in the Marion County Clerk’s office. He later practiced law with his father but didn’t like it so he left the law firm and made an amazing life for himself.”
The reader of the book will find White expands the life of Wallace by describing circumstances in the world the general was living in. The author wants people to see what was happening around Wallace that influenced the general in his life.
Some of the influencing events included two world-wide depressions, the gold rush, a famine in Ireland, a civil war, Indian issues, an issue with the notorious Billy the Kid and more. Wallace also served in the United States in many ways such as the presiding judge of the military tribunal for confederates involved with the prison camp at Andersonville, Georgia.
“When the government needed someone to handle a difficult political situation, Lew Wallace was always on the list,” Fox said. “Lew was a significant man for his times. You cannot compare him to any other American author. There is no comparison to the history and depth of Lew Wallace. ”
The book is available at Amazon and SunburyPress.com. Locally the book is available at Whimsie at 124 W. Main St. The book will soon be available at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum located at 200 Wallace Ave.
