Portrait of General Lew Wallace around 1862. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Brady-Handy Photograph Collection.

Lew Wallace’s impressive military career is often overshadowed by the stigma of his actions in the Battle of Shiloh, a major battle during the American civil war. The battle, on April 6, 1862, was initially viewed as a victory for the Union, yet the large number of casualties prompted further explanation. Blame was eventually placed on Wallace by higher command, asserting that he failed to follow orders, which delayed moving reserve soldiers to an integral position on the battlefield to support an ensuing attack by the Confederate army.

The commanding general gave Wallace the orders to be ready to move to a precise location. However, the orders were given verbally to an aide, who transcribed them before they were delivered. The written orders were lost during the battle, so their exact wording cannot be confirmed. Wallace spent the remainder of his life trying to resolve the accusations and change public opinion about his role in the battle. Around two decades later, commanding Major General Ulysses S. Grant stated that he could not be sure of the exact content of Wallace’s written orders, since the orders were lost during battle.

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