New-York tribune., 1906-11-17
AUTHOR AND SOLDIER.
General Lez0 WalIace's Story and
Defence of His Career.

LEW WALLACE. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. With
eight Illustrations Two volumes, Vo, PIP. xiv,
5O2; XII. 503-1,02s Harper & Bros.
The story telling faculty possessed by the late
General Lew Wallace. 10 which the large sales
of Ben Hur' bear witness. served him in good
stead when he came to write the account Of his
own life. His autobiography is lncontestably in
terestng, but rather from the manner IN which
1t is written than from the Importance Of the
incidents narrated. BY far the greater part of
the authors "reminiscences IS taken up with his
Civil War experiences. In his accounts of bat
ties and skirmishss. he writes with graphic
pen, and gives some entertaining pictures of the
war leaders and politicians whom he encoun-
tered at that period Too much space, however.
is devoted to criticisms Of the battle tactics of
his brothers in arms, and too much to analyses
of his own operations and 10 defences of his own
procedure in the various circumstances which
subjected him to official criticism and cut short
his activity in the field soon after the brilliant
opening of his military career.
The autobiography proper ends with the fight
at Monocacy Junction Nd, in July. 1864. after
which the work IS continued by his widow and
Miss Mary H Krout. largely from the generals
correspondence. The independence Of Judgment
which SO greatly tnterfered with General Wal
laces usefulness as a soldier, appears TO hav9
been a ha bit formed in early life. persistent
tr1ant and runaway, he took little advantage Of
the efforts OF his IA ther TO give him educa-
ton When he was sixteen years old his father
callsd him into his library one morning after
breakfast and the interview which followed is
thus related:
From the drawer Of table supporting the boob book
casa he drew a package of papers neatly folded
and tied with red tape. Seldom nave seen nun
SO deliberate and serious. i want you 70 l"-lI 4
the the PsPsti psPst IN What WIS are Re-
pi5tad Celpiis sc6oof brjs Were die tonight
he continued your portion Of my estate Would nor
keep you a month. have sttuSsLtsu, |" eNe @ "U
and YOUR brothers what. IN my opinion. IS oett"t
than money-education. Since your s.Nln >rtiE
I have paid school bills for you: put-ohe uay You
will regret the opportunities you nave "Nfuiy
thrown away. am sorry dlsappo,l@Ieu' @ Hp, u ,I.Heo
so without shutting the door upon you. aTa re-
solved that from to-day you must 20 ou' ana earn
vour own livelihood I shall watch your course
hopefully That is all have 10 say
The lads self -suhiciency here stood him in
good stead and he Immediately secured re-
rnunerative employment as a copyist In the
County Clerks office and soon thereafter began
work on his first novel, THE Fair GOD, getting
bis local color from Prescotts Conquest ot
,tsxfco" and from a volume in Spanish pur-
r,o-t,p- 20 have been written sy Bernal Diaz del
castillo He found time 10 study Jaw but his
r.peratIon for the examinations Ior sdnlttance
! - the bar was interrupted by the breaking out
/ - ,ba Mexican war for which he raised 4 com
nm accompanying il as second lieutenant.
-, axsnofnatton came of before his departure
for the front. and the manner IN "hlch ne an