About the Author
Lew Wallace (1827-1905) lived a life that was perhaps as fascinating as that of his famous literary creation. Wallace became a lawyer, was elected to the Indiana state senate, and rose to the rank of major-general in the Union army during the Civil War. After the war, he went on a secret mission to Mexico in support of President Benito Juárez. Later, he was appointed governor of territorial New Mexico, where he was able to convince Billy the Kid to testify against other outlaws. He was even appointed minister to the Sultan of Turkey by President James Garfield, a fan of the author’s writing.
