The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-16


about the pitcher. resembling a light fall of
snow upon a summer garden. Vlolets and
marigoldS set off the mantelpiece. Behind
their petals of blue and gold were photo
graphs in imperial size OF the generals son,
little granddaughter and other members CT
his family. The son is in his grave. The
face was that of bright and handsome boy,
not yet In his teens. with the Alger features
well defined. The granddaughter Is little
beauty. whose summers could scarce be
seven. She, too, bears a striking resem-
blance 10 her grandfather.
General Alger received all his visitors with
that genuine spirit of cordiality which is
characteristic OF genial nature well
coming smile, q kindly pressure of the hand,
pleasant word of greeting, and the caller
who receives all these at once feels that
there is no ice to melt before he is at home
with the general.
The CALL reporter asked him straight
way whether be had anything 20 say for
publication upon the subject OF his resigna-
tion from the volunteer service during the
war.
His reply was that just before he left De-
troit week ago he had instructed his
friends to secure from the War Department
archives his whole war record and 10 pub
lish every scrap OF it. To that he could add
nothing more.
How much space would the story &C.
cupy, General" next asked the reporter.
Medit6ting q second or two, General Ager
said he thought 1t would I'LL big news
paper.
He vas asked whether the report written
by General Custer and Endorsed by Generals
Torbert and Merritt, and upon which had
been based the comments Of the New \ ork
Sun, formed part of the Detroit pubiica-
ton compiled by his friends.
Yes, sir" he replied, Il had nothing TO
conceal. The Sun obtained its data from
the record furnished by my friends. 1t was
my desire that not word should be left
out"
when did you first know, general, that
these offensive structures by those three
officers formed part IF your record Pr
Il never had the slightest intimauOn Of
their existence until 1855"
And you had no suspicion at the time
you rendered your resignation that your
superior officers entertained any hostile
feeling toward you"
None at all
WHY He RESIGNED.
'Why did you resign?"
81 was suffering from disabilities. l was
SO Ill and broken up that l did not consider
myself physically able 10 perform any more
field service
"Were you mustered out on account of
disability, or was it simply formal resigna-
tion?"
Simply formal resignation"
Were you ever wounded General Alger 2"
II
twice. In the engagement at Bonneville,
Miss, during the Corinth campaign. while
serving as a captain in the Second Michigan
Cavalry, my ribs (placing his hands on his
right side were nearly crushed in. [ had
charged with two companies the enemy's
rear, and during some confusion in the
woods my horse carried me with great VIC
lence against the limb of a tree. My second
Injury was gunshot wound In the right
thigh, received IN an engagement with The
RO0Qes hOr0nph
while serving IN the Army of the Potomac"
The reporter next asked General Alger
what was the nature of bis personal ac-
qraintance with General heridan.
Il went out as a captain in the Second
Michigan Cavalry, the first volunteer regi-
ment in which General Sheridan served as
colonel | will not say that through me ne
Was made colonel. of that regiment. but
bad much to do with his appointment.
With other officers, / urged upon Governor
Blair bis selection. 1t was who carried
Sheridan's first commission as a colonel TO
him. Our acquaintance had always been
one of mutual esteem"
Were you engaged. general, in court
martial duty in Washington at the time YOU
forwarded your resignation"
Yes, and did not like the duty, and the
assignment had its effect, too, in influencing
my course"
General Alger was somewhat startled by
the next question. 1t was this: 81 under
stand you to say, general, that at the time
you left the service you never had the
slightest ntimatlon from any one that there
Was anything to your prejudice in the rec
ord; that being the case, have you no sus-
piclon to-day that officers in your own regi-
ment at hat time had proved false to youp'
mo, sir: that WAS impossible. l never
had truer friends than those who were my
comrades on the battlefield. Why do you
ask that?"
The reporter. in reply to this question OF
the general answered: General Custer in
his report in your case to General Merritt
concludes with these words, | have direct
ed that be be reported as absent without
leave Oh the muster-r0ls. of his regiment
Ii General Clusters order was obeyed there
was evidently information at the head
quarters of your regiment to which you were
IN honor entitled from your friends. As
suming that the officer next to you in rank
and then in command of your regiment,
received such an order, don't you think il
strange that the fact should have been con-
cealed from you for twenty-four years?"
General Alger rose and picked up
bundle Of letters from the centertabe He
acted like man who was dazed for a mo-
ment and at loss for suitable reply.
He shrugged his shoulders significantly
and then repeated that he knew all his Off
GERS were loyal to him; that ne had never
known them TO be otherwise.
MUsTER-RoLLs AS EVIDENCE.
The reporter suggested that the muster
rolls or the Fifth Michigan Cavalry were a
part OF the record. and that it might assist
him II be could determine from them whether
such an order had ever been received and
obeyed; also that, unfortunately there were
too often intrgues In the field for promo
ton, and Colonel Alger might have fallen
uDawares victim 10 one In his own canp
Though 1t was evident that General Alger
had received some new light, he did not en-
courage the pursuit of the conversation in
this channel. The bellboy was coming in
pretty often about this time with his tray
well lined with pastebOaTds. and the room
was beginning to fill with new visitors
The CALL reporter asked the general TO
explaiE more fully his relations with Gen
eral Custer and the nature of General
Clusters animus toward him.
Very briefly General Alger stated that
General Custer had brother WHO was an
enlisted man in an OHIO regiment This
brother he desired should be transferred to
the Fifth Michigan Cavalry and commits
appoint him on his staff. The officers of the
Fifth Michigan would not listen for mo-
meDt to the proposition, and Colonel Alger
would not allow an outsider TO be thus
jumped over their heads. This episode
created an enlargement between General
Gutter and himself
do you propose taking any further steps
In the matter, g"neral?" asked the reporter.
NO; l can do nothing more. My war
record is now before the people. There is
SIX tights. When the Detroit papers reach
here you Will have the whole story. Moth
ing has been left out"
The interview being al an end the CALL
reporter Withdrew TO give the other gentle
men standing by the opportunity to greet
the general.
An examination OF the forty-odd volumes
Of the official records of the Rebellion. pub
iished under the direction of the War De-
partment, fails to disclose a solitary word
against General Ayers good name as a
brave soldier. Ga the contrary. there are
numerous official tributes to his skill and
courage, written and signed by the very
officials who wrote the dsparaging in
e. I'm