Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-15
ALGER'S REPLY TO DANA.
HE PRODUCES SOME DOCUMENTS TO
BACK HIM UP.

A Detroit Paper Prints Two Pages OF Them
Letters to Show That He Was Honor
ably Discharged-A Technically Out of
Which Much Has Been Made.
DETROIT, March 14.-The Tribune of this
Alger's reply to the critics OF his war record.
His reply takes the form of tine publication
of the record itself, purports to give all the
papers now on file in the War Department
relative to the absences, promotions and
final discharge Of the General, and includes
favorable Endorsements from time to time.
The portion that answers the charges made
by the Sun is the most interesting.
The report and recommendations of Gen.
eral Custer are given in full, with the in
dorsements. A letter from Custer, dated
September 16, 1864, states that Alger had
'left this command without authority, and
after having been refused leave of absence
from these headquarters And I have di-
rected that he be reported absent without
leave on the muster rolls of his regiment.
General Merritt, in forwarding this, adds:
The case mentioned within is the third in
which Colonel. Alger has absented himself
from the command without properAuthority
since the commencement of the present
years campaign. Severe measures should
be taken to prevent q recurrence of this evil.
Major General Torbett recommended
Alger's dismissal from the service, Septem-
Der II, and Major General Sheridan said he
couldn't excuse such conduct, but on Sep
tember %, 1864, Assistant Adjutant General
Vincent said General Alger had been honor
ably discharged September 20.
General Alger's reply is to this effect: On
August 6, 1864, month and ten days before
wrote a letter to Secretary Stanton tender
ing his resignation. In that letter he said:
First-I have been in the military service
of the United States nearly three years, hav-
ing enlisted i'll August, 1861, and have been
off duty but eight days, except on account of
Wounds. six OF those eight days being on ac
count of sickness.
Second-My private business at home has
become such and is in such condition that
my presence there to attend 10 it is neces-
sary in order to enable me to save anything
from it.
President Lincoln Endorsed this letter as
follows:
Let this resignation be accepted.
AUGUST 6, 1864.
1t will be seen that this acceptance by
the President was dated month and eight
days earlier than the date of General Gus
ter's letter regarding ,Alger. After leav-
ing the President, with his accepted resig-
nation in his possession, Colonel Alger
learned that there was prospect of an active
campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. He
did not present his resignation at the War
Department, but hastily rearranged his
business as, well as possible, and started for
the scene of operations arriving, ON account
of misinformation as to theN time of the de-
parture of the train, one day late.
1t will be seen that Colonel Alger did not
have to report to his brigade commander at
all if he had desired to quit the service at
that time He did not present his resigna-
ton, but went to the front. Six weeks
later, on September 16, 1864 the date of
Gen. Clusters report, and seven, n,davs before
it had received its final Inducements, he
rendered his resignation anew. The same
day it was accepted by the President The
acceptance was indorsed by the Secretary of
War on September II, and by special order
of September 20, 1864, signed by Adjutant
General E. D. Townsend. he was honorably
discharged from the service OF the United
States.
General Alger was afterward bteveted a
Brigadier General of Volunteers, and on
February q, 1867, by order of Secretary
Stanton, was ordered appointed a, Brevet
Major General of Volunteers. These brevet
commissions were signed by President john
ston, to whom General Alger was politically
opposed
The reply is declared by General Alger's
friends to be eminently satisfactory.