The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-20
Let Gen. Aiger Produce His Record

tention oil that Gen. ALaER has had 3
say In regard TO the circumstances OF hi
retirement from the Federal army In Sep
TENDER. 1854: and likewise all that has bcel
said In his behalf
What Is established beyond question is
fact not stated in any Of tho Biographical
sketches OF Gen. ALGER that have ever com,
to our notice: and deliberately. and to al
appearances purposcly concealed or OBJ
scured In the glowing accounts Of his mill
tary services which have been circulated o.
late for political effect. This fact is that
Col. ALGER did not serve throughout the
war. as all OF his biOgraphers allow the
reader to infer. but left tho service In the
middle Of SHERIDAN's great Shenandoah
campaign. and left IL under cloud.
Gen. ALGER's reply to tho somewhat
astonishing statements made by The Sun
on Feb. II. has been confined substan-
TALLY to the denial of what was not affirmed
concerning him. In his letter OF Feb. II
to Col. HOPKINS he remarks: ~ was holt
orably discharged from the service. md
was not dismissed. as stated" 1t had not
been stated that Col. ALGER was dismissed.
Tho statement WINS that his dshonorable
discharge for absence without leave had
been recommended by Gen. WESLEY MER-
RIFT, his division commander, to Gen. SHER-
IDAN. and by Gen. SHERIDAN to the War
Department. early In September. 1854: that
he left tho army in consequence on Sept. 20,
1864: but TINT the punishment recommended
by Con. SHERIDAN was softened. and Col.
ALGER was merely discharged: that the in
cident terminated his military career. and
that after the war was over he procured in
some way the breyet of Brigadier-General
and Major-General Of Volunteers.
In subsequent interview at Detroit
Gen. ALGER Is reported as saying: The
Suns article would imply that there was
some mystery about my leaving the SER
vice. As stated in my communication in
nnsper to THE SUNS first charge resigned
Sept. 90. 1864. That resignation was ac-
cepted and I was honorably discharged.
The form Of acceptance OF ali designations
from the army is tho same. and mine is like
all others. I did not apply for leave of
absence. as stated by THESUN, but was sent
to tho hospital by the surgeon. am recciv-
ing hundreds OF letters and kilograms, both
Of sympathy and congratulation.
MEANWHILE we find in the Western news
papers the following report of an interview
at st. Paul with Gen. ALGER's old division
commander. Con. WESLEY MERRITT
A reporter called Gen. MERRITT and endeavored
to secure either denia! affirmation of tho re.
ports concerning Gen. ALGER's record but unsuc.
cessfnl. Gen. MERRITT replied to a question as to
whether or not he had signed the recommendation for
Gen. ALGgRs dismissal by saying that he pre-
pared to trust his memory for the details of what
It that time com paratively unimportant matter.
Have you been approached before tho subject
"'ies. once: some time ago. when in Washington.
was spoken to about Cen ALGRR by several proIn
pent men, They stated that the records showed certain
facts They wished me to make statement, and l
refused to have anything to do with the business
''Could you not by consulting the records satisfy
yourself the facts and right before
the world"
=" could by those means satisfy myself whether or
not signed the rommendation'
"'Wi you do that = |
80 No. sir: this is not my affair II Gen. ALGHs de. |
stres my recollection of the matter and writes for
II, shall give the knowledge have without
1t may he that IT, as stated by Gen. ALGER n com.
munication to the press. he in when he went to
Washington he may have been temporarily deranged.
hn' have no means of establishing what his condition
was. can say nothing that | cannot trust
my memory ior the details OF the occurrences
But it is not necessary for Gen. ALGER to |
apply to Gen. MERRITT for his recollection
of the circumstances attending Col ALGER's
retirement from the military service of the
United States. The full record is probably
In Gen. ALGER's own hands. although he
has never chosen to communicate it to the
authors of his campaign biographies. On
the statement was telegraphed
from Washington to certain Republican
newspapers that during the summer Of 1888
an order was issued by Secretary ENDIcoTr
for search and thorough summary OF the
record. ut the instance of Gen. ALGER's
political enemies. Yesterday our own cor
respondent tclegraphed that such an order
was. in fact. issued by Mr.. ENDICoTr. but
at the request of Congressman ODONNELL
Of Michigan. II personal friend OF Gen. Al
GER; and that the record thus obtained
was sent to Chicago by n special messen-
ger ut the time OF tho last Republic
can National Convention and placed in
The hands OF the managers of the ALGER
Doom. The assertion is borne out by Con.
ALdER's admission in his letter to Col. HOP
KINs: Il had never heard Il single word"
wrote Gen. ALGER. of Gen. CusTER's mot
MERRITTs, recommendation until the Chi
'ago Convention of 1888. Ny friends tele-
yraphed me there was some question about
ny military record ,elcgHphcd back that
t was absolutely false. had never heard
WoIu' uiItCtiy pI HlulTtttIy, up I'd UIHC
late. almost twnnty-four years. that there
iad been any such recommendation; uhich
found aft'rpard. To mn surprise. iras true"
Then Gen. ALdER. after attempting to
,onflne tho recommendation to Gen. Gus
TER. who was merely his brigade COM
nander. whilo Gen. MERRITT was his
division commander and Gen. SHERIDAN
lis General commanding. proceeds to at
ributa that recommendation OF dishon-
'rable discharge for absence without leave,
% base and cowardly motive on the part
u the heroic and generous CUSTER Had
known lie goes on To say. +" of the en-
stenco Of such document during the lives
Il Gen. SHERIDAN. who WAS always warm
'ersonal friend. and of Gen. CUSTER. who
Iways claimed to be n friend and who Wis.
ted me frequently. could easily have had
he record corrected; but when first heard
i 1t Gen. SHERIDAN was on his death bed
nd Gen. CusTER was dead
A little further on in the letter to Col.