The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-28
ALGER AND CUSTER.

General Alger, gallant soldier and q
citizen held in high respect by both polit-
zeal parties in Michigan, is suffering today
unjustly from the personal vindictiveness
of General Custer, whom he angered by q
refusal to overslaugh one of the officers of
Alger's regiment to make room for a mill
tary pet of Custer's. Custer swore at the
time to make Alger regret his refusal. and
he kept his word by recommending Gen.
erai Alger for dismissal for absence with
out leave, when he knew that General
Alger had been excused from duty by his
surgeon because of sickness consequent
upon unusual exposure and fatigue.
As between General Alger as q man and
General Custer as a man the word of Gen.
eral Alger will be taken by all who know
both men. General Custer was a gallant
soldier, but of repulsive private character.
Under orders from Sheridan he was of i'm
portant service as daring and energetic
trooper, but beyond this courage and reck-
lessness which made him an efficient in
strument of destruction when guided and
restrained by Sheridan, Custer is of no
historical consequence.
Read Sberidan's Memoirs and 1t will be
perfectly plain that he regarded General
Merit as an able man, to whose skill and
discretion he could safely trust, while
Custer was nothing but bold, reckless
trooper. who could not be trusted beyond
his strict orders. Mackenzie, younger
than Custer, was admired and trusted by
Sheridan because he was q man of intense
intellectually and soldierly behavior, but
Custer was of the type of Boutwell,, whom
Balfour of Burley kills in "Old Mortal
ity." He was tall, strong, muscular,
bold, reckless, unprincipled trooper with
ali the vices of a soldier. save alcoholism,
and none of his virtues save animal cour-
age.
After the war Clusters character in the
army was badly furnished. He was in
subordinate, was often in arrest and was
VIGOROUSLY reckless. selfish soldier, who
would be sure to break orders if he could
make q point for himself After the war
he did nothing beyond the surprise of a
camp of sleeping Indians on a wintry
night. lie lost his life and sacrificed his
whole personal command at the battle of
the Big Horn in his selfish ambition TO
steal all the glory before Terry, Gibbon
and Crook could come up. Had he lived
he would have been court-martialed by
Terry for his violation of the spirit of his
orders.
Altogether General Custer was a verv
mean, overbesring, selfish, immora, man
of small military capacity, but vast ambi-
ton. He was a Thoroughbred military
demagoguc. He attended the famous
candy" johnson arm-in-arm Philadelphia
convention of 1866 and FASTENED TO abuse
President Grant before the committee Of
the House of Representatives in May.
1876 Custer was a gambler, a roue, mill
tary ruifian and bully. and every officer OF
the regular army who was a heightened
man of honor and courtesy who knew
him disliked him. He does not stand for
great soldiership or fine character. and
General Ayers reputation as an officer
and gentleman will not suffer by the
bootless effort of Custer 10 expel him from,
the Army of the Potomac IN disgrace.