Wallace Lewis Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur Author & Civil War General, War Dated ALS Regarding "the great rebellion"

1p autograph letter inscribed overall by Civil War commander and American author Lewis Wallace (1827-1905), and signed by him with rank as "Lew. Wallace, Maj. Gen. Comg. Mid. Dep't, and 8th Army Corps" at lower right. Written at the Headquarters of the Middle Department, whose jurisdiction encompassed New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and several counties in Maryland, on January 12, 1865. The plain cream stationery shows expected wear including light paper folds and minor mounting traces verso, else very good to near fine. 5.125" x 8".

Wallace wrote fellow Union officer Col. W.H.H. Davis in part:

"Your note is at hand. It gives me pleasure to comply with your request. Please consider me most truly your friend, and the friend of every man who has served his country against the great rebellion."

Wallace, a Mexican-American War veteran, became the youngest Major General in the Union Army when, at age 34, he was promoted to that rank in March 1862.

Wallace's military service, which included action at the Battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862) and the Siege of Corinth (April-May 1862), is almost completely overshadowed by his phenomenal literary career. He published his best known novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, in 1880. His account of a Jewish nobleman's encounters with Christ and early Christians became the bestselling novel of the nineteenth century, outstripping even Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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