The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-02-16
AUTHOR OF BEN HUR
JOINS THE MAJORITY
Gen. Lew Wallace Succumbed
Last Night.
A Veteran IT Two Wars, lie nj Last
Died Of Disease That Was
Virtually starvation.
ALWAYS A PROMINENT MAN.

Crawfordsvillc, Ind, Feb. iG.--Sur
rounded by his family, General Lew
Wallace. author of Ben Hur." one
time minister TO Turkey and veteran
Of the Mexican and civil wars. died
ut his home in this city last night,
aged rs.
The health Of General Wallace has
been waning for several years and
for months. despite the efforts Of his
family to keep the public in lgnor-
ance of his true condition. Il has been
generally known that his vigorous
constitution could not much longer
Withstand the ravages of the vast
ing disease.
For more than a year he had been
unable to properly assimlate food
and this. together with his extreme
age. made more dinlcult his fight
against death. At no time did he
ever confess his belief that the end
was near and his rugged constltu-
ton and remarkable vitality were re-
sponsible for prolonglng his life sew
eral months.
The deathbed scene was one OF
calmness. Besides his physician. on
ly his wife. his son. Henry Wallace.
of Indianapolis, and Mrs. Wallace
were present. when told by his ply
stefan that he was dying. General
Wallace was perfectly calm and his
last words were expressions OF cheer
TO his grief-stricken family. Bidding
them farewell, he said: II am ready
to meet my maker" and lapsed into
Inconsistencies from which he did
not recover. No definite funeral ar
rangements have yet been made.
DR.. Ristine said last night that the
direct cause OF the generals death
was exhaustion. resulting from star
walton. For weeks Wallace had been
unable TO take or assimilate strength
enlng food OF any kind. His stom-
ach refused absolutely TO perform its
functions. and II was only HIS iron
constitution and remarkable vitality
that kept him alive for more than
three months. All nourishment for
weeks had been given him with
hypodermic
General Lew Wallace was born in
Brookyille. Ind, April 10, 1927. He
received a good education and stud
led law. when the Mexican war
broke out he entered the army and
served as a first lieutenant, When
the war closed he began the prac-
tice of his profession at CoyLStoa
and later moved to Charlottesville
when the civil war began he was
appointed adjutant general OF Jndi-
ana. became colonel of volunteers
and served In western Virginia. In
September he was commisslo ed
brigadier general OF volunteers and
commanded a division at the capture
OF Fort Donaldson. lie was then
given the rank of major general His
division fought at shiloh. and In
1868 prevented the capture OF Gin
cinnau by the Confederates under
Gen. Kirby Smith.
He was assigned TO command tho
middle department OF the federal
government, headquarters at Balti-
more. He intercepted the march of
Gen Jubal A. Early on Washington
and was so severely defeated on July
Q. 1854. In the battle Of Monoeacy
that by order of Gen. w. II. Halleck
he was removed from his command.
Gen. Grant, however. reinstated him.
After the civil war Gen. WallaHe
was appointed governor OF Utah ard
served three years from 1878 to
1881. During President Arthur's
administration he served as United
States minister to Turkey,
In 1885 he returned TO his home at
Charlottesville, and since that time
has given his attention to literature,
His first work was THE Fair Cod
which was followed by the one Will
has become famous and which has
been translated into many languages
--"Ben Her" Following these he
published THE Boyhood OF Christ"
Life OF BENJAMIN Harrison" and
the prince Of India"