The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-31
GEN. ALGER.
"reminiscences of the Republican
Candidate for Governor.
A Glowing Tribute to His SOldierly
Qualities by Col. J. II. Kidd.

| KNEW hussel n. Anger. III WIS carry w unt
war. when we were both young men, officers
in the sixth Michigan cavalry. The friend
ship then begun has never been for one mo-
menu interrupted.
The wave of patriotic fervor that swep,
over the lard In 1861 at the first sound Of
war carried him, with thousands Of loyal
hearted young men, into the army
of the Union, and from that moment
until the sun of war set of
AppOmattox Russell A. Alger never swerved
from the courageous and conscientious dis
charge of his duty as a soldier and patriot.
He was singled out for frequent promotion
and was successively captain and major 81
the seco nd Michigan cavalry, Phil Sheridan's
regiment on duty in the Southwest. In 1867
Gov. Blair sent fer him to come aud take the
lieutensnt co'onelcy Of the sixth cavalry,
then in rendezvous al Grand Rapids his home
With this command he joined the army OF the
Potomac When the colonel of the Fifth
resigned Lieut.-C Alger's conspicuous fit
ness used him to be selected for the posi-
iion and he remained in command of hat
fine regiment till near the clio o. the war,
when he was selected by President Lincolu
to 60 on a CT fden,ia' mission to the south
ern states, receiving orders direct Fl I'm the
president. He was brevetted brigader-gen-
eral and maior-gen' raj for gallant and Der,
| itorious services during the war.V
THE FIELD OF GETTYSBURG.
1t is little more than twenty one years
since the fate of this nation hung suspended
by thread on the plains and nights of
Get,syburg Two mighty hosts thats.had
been contending for two days moved out at
dawn of day to engage IN one of the bloodest
battles known in history. Beforr
night thousands of brave men on
both sides were 10 sleep the sleep
that knows no waking On he issue of that
| battle depended the ques ion whether the
stars and sripe> were to continue 10 float
| as the emb EN- of a free and united nation or
be flung in the dust. and the standard o. u
causeess and wicked reb liOn sell up IL their
stead. The how,rof the rebel cava ry, lei
Ivy those brave knigbts-S usrt, Hampton
of the Copfederat" limo 10 charge the Union
right, opening way for the gray
lines of infantry to the rear of Meade. BY
common consent the cavalry OF Michigan
we're given the chief honor of saving the
ULion right. The charge w,s met h nd to
udliN, SLc0l " olctl, hiIu tuuS JuWdTU'
ing one Of the most d-spera'e attempts made
thatsiay 10 break toe Union lines.
MICHIGAN's THREE WAR LEADERS.
Three meo of Michigan we're conspicuous
for their leadership in that battle. Two OF
them have gone over to the shadowy land
leaving behind names that will never be
erased from the pages of American history
mean George A. Custer and Charles
II. Town. The third is Sil living.
He is q soldier citizen OF Michigan, hi.
adopted state. He IS for the frs time
| in his life q candidate for any office
His name heads the Republican state ticket.
1t is needless 10 say it is Rus.e A. Alger
the hero of Gettysburg. The boy who was
born on that memorial Sd day of July 1865
is now of ase an voter-will perhaps cast
his first vote at the coming election. Such 4
one may well reh ct whether he does not owe
n debt of graft ude which can be but in a
small part discharged by casting his first bal
lot for Gen. Al2er, the mau sho helped e.
save the Union right at Gt ttysburg.
THE DEATH STRUGGLE IN THE WILDERNESS
sEight months later Lee and Grant were
engaged in a death grapple 10 the wilds OF
the wilderness. Gen. Hancock held he lef,
of the Union lihe. Gen. Custer was ordered
to make connection with Hancock's left
but before he could get the brigade iutc
position a large force of rebel cavalry
headed by the Intrepid Rosser, made bold
dash TO br' ak through. The first ouset wa.
met and repulsed by Gen. Custer in pc son
at the head OF the first and sixth Mich
gan regiments, which were posttd
at point where the rebel cav
| airy debouchrd from the woods into a large
op5 n field. Bet seen this field and the left oi
| Haucocks infantry line was a thick wood,
and 1 was ordered by Gen. Custer to take n
many men of the Sixth as ! could FLY at
nee and occupy this wood connect with the
infantry line, and prevent any movement
| through this open gap. As the fight was
still raging in the tie d, l was able to with
draw only portion of the regim mt, and in
| few moments encountered heavy force,
outnumbering us at least five to one, moving
| towards Gus er's rear Determined to hold
their own against these fearful odd1 as long
| as possible, the little force stood bravely III
to the work, using their Spencer rifles with
deadly effect. Word WAS sent for reinforce
meets which came none too soon to prevent
our humiliation.
ALGER AND HIS MEN IN TIME.
Two full regiments just reporting on the
field were sent to our aid. in a solid line OF
two ranks, with Spencer rifles loaded for
bear, tho fifth Michigan and seventeenth
Pennsylvania, by a left half wheel, came
into position on our right They we're dis
| mount ed and moved like infantry. Close
up to the liue, mounted on his horse, cool as
il on dress parade, rode the commander OF
the two magnificent regiments STEADY,
| men, forSard,n he was heard TO say, q d
with a cheer 10 which the sixth joined, the
line swept through the wo DIS. The enemy
was routt d. He left his dead and wounded
in our hands. The LETT had been
saved as was the right at Gettys-
burg IL need not be said that the cool
and Intrepid officer VINO rode into the leaden
hail in tho Wilderness was the came who
stood like a stone welt In he way of Stuart's
cavalry eight months before. He was none
other than Russell A. Alger.
II was my fortune To- be q witness of the
bearing of Gen. Alger In scores of engage-
ments during The war. cav his desperate
charge ~ Trevillian Station; saw him amid
the fearful carnage at Hswe's Shop End nj
Cold Harbor; saw him lead the fifth and
sixth across a railroad bridge sRainst<a muir.
derous fire OF artillery at Meadow Bridge
an I never saw him finch or fail to do his
full duty as an officer.
IN CIVIL LIFE NO LESS A HERO.
The close of hostiities found Gen. Algei
poor. His career since 1865 has been one oil
the, most remarkable in the annals of bust
ness. His success has been pheDominal. and
proves that he possesses executive ability OF
the highest order. The wealth which has
come 10 him has been the result of legitimate
enterprises. He never gambled. He never
specialized. he had no government con
tracts, no rich friends, no political influences
to aid him. From tho time when he went
into the woods along the Huron
shore with a pack on his back tc
the present he las pursued the one