![]() ![]() Wallace found himself in that position starting in 1862, and defended himself for the next 43 years, only being silenced when he died. It’s frustrating, and more than that, infuriating if those rumors aren’t true. Refusal to back down from half-truths: I’m sure that at some point, most people have been the subject of rumors or slander. Sometimes in life, we just have to do what’s right, and there isn’t time to ask for guidance, or permission. Though he had scant resources and faced a juggernaut of Confederate veterans, when asked to serve, Wallace rushed to the scene and fought an action that came to be known as the “The Battle that Saved Washington.” Though he didn’t have orders to do-so from higher officers, Wallace knew what had to be done, and rushed to action. In that yearning for action, he oversaw the defense of Cincinnati in the fall of 1862, and finally, defended the banks of the Monocacy River. Relegated to behind-the-lines details, Wallace once complained to his wife, “Soon will be heard the thunder of captains, the sound of the trumpet and the shout, and I not there.” He wanted action, no matter where it may be found. Grant and others for the battle of Shiloh (more on that below). Rising steadily through the ranks, Wallace’s star fell once he was scapegoated by Ulysses S. With the onset of the Civil War, Wallace quickly put his services to the Union cause. ![]() Serving as a young teenager in the waning years of the Mexican War, Wallace grew to love the martial lifestyle. Out of a warzone, as a budding writer, it meant re-examining perceptions if he realized they were wrong, and out of that doggedness came Ben-Hur, one of the America’s greatest novels.įearlessness in the face of overwhelming odds: Wallace is one of those people in history that honestly enjoyed combat. He threw everything he had into an endeavor on the battlefield that meant keeping control of his troops, and moving them to the best of his ability. His tenacity: When Wallace made a decision to do something, he never went at it half-hearted. His tenacity, fearlessness in the face of overwhelming odds, and refusal to back down from half-truths are all traits that we can continue to draw inspiration from almost 155 years later. Wallace sits atop the mantle for a number of reasons. ![]() But recently, I have come to steadily respect and admire more and more Lew Wallace. As I think about people I admire historically, a spectrum of Federal commanders come to mind: Winfield S. ![]()
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