General Lew Wallace, Defender of the Mexican Republic

General Lew Wallace is largely known for his Civil War service and his authorship of the novel Ben-Hur, but his aid to the Mexican Republic’s fight against the French and their puppet, Maximilian, has remained largely untold. In 1865 and 1866, Wallace involved himself deeply in the Mexican cause, even going into debt. Historian Gail Stephens will tell the story of Wallace and his services in defense of legitimate Mexican Republic.

Gail Stephens has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Politics from George Washington University in Washington DC, and did graduate work at Johns Hopkins and Harvard Universities. She worked for the Department of Defense for 26 years, retiring in 1994 as a member of the Department’s Senior Executive Service. Upon retirement, she began to study the American Civil War. She lectures regularly on various Civil War topics, including Monocacy, Major General Lew Wallace and the 1864 Maryland campaign. In 2002, she won the National Park Service’s E.W. Peterkin award for her contributions to public understanding of Civil War history. She has written articles on Lew Wallace and Early’s 1864 invasion of the North for several Civil War publications. Shadow of Shiloh, her 2010 book on Wallace’s Civil War career, won the Civil War Forum of New York City’s William Henry Seward Award for best Civil War biography of 2011.  Gail and her husband moved to New Mexico in 2016.

Like these programs? Consider supporting our efforts by BECOMING A MEMBER or DONATING TO THE MUSEUM! Your efforts ensure that we can continue sharing the story of Civil War medicine in this crucial time. In history, we can find hope amid our struggle against COVID-19.