The Incredible Life of Lew Wallace, Civil War General and Author of Ben Hur

Slate.com ^ | MARCH 26 2013 | John Swansburg

[11th_VA]

The incredible story of how a disgraced Civil War general became one of the best-selling novelists in American history.

Lew Wallace was making conversation with the other gentlemen in his sleeper car when a man in a nightgown appeared in the doorway. The train was bound for Indianapolis and the Third National Soldiers Reunion, where thousands of Union Army veterans planned to rally, reminisce, and march in a parade the New York Times would later describe as “the grandest street display ever seen in the United States.” It was Sept. 19, 1876, more than a decade since the Civil War had ended. Wallace had grayed a bit, but still wore the sweeping imperial moustache he’d had at the Battle of Shiloh. “Is that you, General Wallace?” the man in the nightgown asked. “Won’t you come to my room? I want to talk.”

Robert Ingersoll, also a veteran of Shiloh, was now the nation’s most prominent atheist, a renowned orator who toured the country challenging religious orthodoxy and championing a healthy separation of church and state. Wallace recognized him from earlier that summer, when he’d heard Ingersoll, a fellow Republican, make a rousing speech at the party’s nominating convention. Wallace accepted his invitation and suggested they take up a subject near to Ingersoll’s heart: the existence of God...

[V K Lee]

Slate has proven themselves to be hypocrites. In what war did Lew Wallace fight? And what war are ‘the progressives’ attempting to erase at this time? I rest my case.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Focus on the Family gives Ben Hur a good rating. FH, there is no nudity or sex scenes and only 'Four possible misuses of God's name.', per the FotF review. Of course there is violence, Christ's crucifixion, a sea battle and the chariot race, but that is to be expected. There are however, scenes that would upset a mohamedan, such as part of a woman's bare back. Of course, EVERYTHING upsets mohamedans.

Since MGM and Paramount hired Mark Burnett and Roma Downey as Executive Producers, to attract a faith-based audience, the content is tame. Personally, I did not even know that this movie was being remade. Based on the review, I know what I'll be doing Tuesday evening.

[GunningForTheBuddha]

I saw it with the family today and thought that it was a pretty good movie, no nudity or cussing. Far from leftist, I felt that it showed parallels to what it going on today. It highlighted the common Jews' struggle against the repressive Roman occupation and the go-along get-along elite embodied in character of Judah Ben-Hur.

Maybe it misses some of the sub-plots of it's longer predecessors, but it is no "Noah" or "Exodus" secularist crap.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I read the book about 30 years ago and enjoyed it immensely.

The Slate article is most interesting about Wallace and the context of the book in Reconstruction and its role in healing the nation. Thanks for posting.

[minnesota_bound]

FTA. Interesting:
Grant, a gifted horseman, admired Old John and proposed a race back to camp. Wallace assented, but reined his horse in as the race began. “Let him out!” barked Grant, seeing that he was being afforded a handicap. Wallace did as he was ordered, and though Grant was in a furious gallop, Old John easily sprinted ahead. After a mile or two, Grant called a halt—and offered to buy Old John on the spot. Wallace refused. “Neither love nor money,” he said, “can buy Old John.”

Or maybe Wallace did write of the race, but only under the veil of fiction. In every incarnation—novel, play, the 1925 silent film, Wyler’s 1959 spectacle—Ben-Hur’s most celebrated scene has always been the chariot race between Judah and his friend-turned-rival Messala. Early in the story, Messala betrays his boyhood companion, accusing Judah of a crime he didn’t commit: the attempted murder of Judea’s Roman governor. After years of suffering in exile, Judah is afforded an opportunity to avenge himself in the arena. Though Messala is heralded as the greatest charioteer in the empire, he can’t contain the superior horsemanship of Judah, who rides to victory.

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The new Ben-Hur movie is bombing. The lead just isn’t. Too bland.
Read the comments: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/2013/03/ben_hur_and_lew_wallace_how_the_scapegoat_of_shiloh_became_one_of_the_best.html

[This I Wonder32460]

Wow another bit of hidden history. To me Ben-Hur has always just one of those old movies occasionally played on tv that didn’t particularly interest me so I’ve never watched it. Now it’s on my list of things to make time for both book and movie wise, with Heston, of course. Then later maybe the remake. Thanks for posting. I forwarded this to a friend who is a civil war reinactor, he may all ready know about this.

[combat_boots]

It’s a good movie. Haven’t seen the one in theaters, though. Sam Jaffe and the Israeli actress are wonderful. Heston is flatout marvelous.