Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-11
ALGER AT BONNEVILLE.

/
that he is in the field as a Republican
candidate for the presidency, and so
whatever concerns him becomes of ma
tional interest. The general has been
in disposing of a charge made by the
New York Sun, that the latter part of his
military career was not altogether bril-
liant, in fact, that his dshonorable dis
charge was recommended by Generals
Sheridan and Merritt, that he found it
out and that he left the service Sept. 20,
1864, never to reenter it, though the war
was not then oyer.
The truth about this portion of his ca
reer will doubtless come out sooner or
later, and so will, perhaps, the true in
wardness of the part played by the Mich
igan hero in the battle of Boonville,
Miss, July |, 1862, when he was lighting
under Sheridan and charged the enemy's
rear by his orders. The episode was
brought into prominence recently at the
banquet of Michigan Republicans in De-
troit, an ger-booming occasion. One
of the speakers there was the Nebraska
statesman, llon.J NJ. Thurston, who told
the story of the Bonneville charge in
these glowing wOrus:
Ninety-tWo men rode calmly out,
knowing chat the supreme moment of
their lives had come. What was in their
hearts during that silent ride? What
/ sh Hn II,
cameras of their souls:
" Before them was Il brigade of caval-
ry, 1000 strong. That way lay death
Behind them were the open fields. the
>helteriug woods, safety, and-dishonor.
just for moment every cheek was
blanched. n robin sang unheeded, from
ii ncighborlng limb; clusters of purple
daisies bloomed unseen upon the grassy
slope; the sweet fresh breath of early
summer filled the air unfelt by all. They
only saw the dear old flag of Union over
head they only knew that foes of coun-
try blocked the road ahead; they only
heard the ringing voice of their gallant
leader ordering the charge, and with a
yell the little troop swept on.
$50 sudden and unexpected was the at
tack, so desperate and irresistible the
c cuarge, that this handful of men cut their
way through the heart of "a whole brigade.
Then, in prompt obedience to the calm
command of their captain, they wheeled.
reformed, and charged again. At this
opportune moment, while the Confeder-
ate> were in confusion, Sherdans whole
line dashed forward with mighty cheers,
and the day was won.
"rhat night forty of the ninety-twO
kept their eternal bivouac on the field of
10. tlas.tr IL,
silent stars. The captain was left for
dead, but, thank God he still lives lives
to wear the button of a peoples love
For the man whose sublime courage
and daring leadership gave victory and a
first star to Phil. Sheridan was Russell
A. Alger of Detroit.'
But Sheridan's account of the same
event is quite unlike the foregoing. He
says:
"After Alger had reached and turned
up the Blackland road, the first thing he
came across was the Confederate head
quarters, the officers and orderlies about
which he captured and sent back some
distance to a farmhouse. Continuing on
a gallop, he soon struck the rear of the
enemy's line, but was unable to get
| through, nor did he get near enough for
! Hlt W ICdi Oul as l!t
made the distance he was to travel in the
time allotted, his attack and mine were
almost coincident, and the enemy, stam-
peded by the charges in front and rear,
fled toward Blackland, with little or no
attempt to capture Alger's command,
which might readily have been done.
"Algers troopers soon rejoined me at
Bonneville, minus many hats, having re-
turned by their original route. They
had sustained little loss except a few
men wounded and "A few temporarily
missing. Among these was Alger him
self. who was dragged from his saddle
by the limb of IA tree that, in the excite
ment of the charge, he was unable to
flank. The missing had been dIsmount-
ed in one way or another, and run over
by the enemy in his flight; but they all
turned up later, none the worse except
for few scratches and bruises"
What with settling the manner in which
he ceased to be soldier and in clearing