Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-15
ALGER'S RECORD.
The Blank Therein Filled by S.
r. Wooster.
AFFIDAVIT FROM THBBx-sURGEoN,

He and the General Ask That it be Filed
in Adjutant General Kelton's ONCE
Complete History of a Heretofore In
recorded Absence From the Front
Friends of the Presidential Possibility
Stand by Him-Senator wolcott Fight
ing Harrison-PoIiticaI Notes.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I5.-General J. c.
Kefton, adjutant general of the United
States army, has received the following
sworn statement from Samuel r. Wooster.
late surgeon of the Fifth Michigan cav
airy and acting brigade surgeon, with ref
erence to General r. A. Ayers military
record:
81 enlisted as assistant surgeon Of the
Eighth Michigan infantry Aug. 10, 1861;
was promoted to surgeon of the First
Michigan cavalry Feb. 70, 1863; mustered
out Oct. IS, 1854 The First cavalry was
one of Clusters Michigan cavalry brigade
during the campaign of 1868 and 1864, and
up TO the time of my discharge from the
service was acting brigade surgeon on
General Casters staff
Alger Covers the Retreat.
@At the battle of Sheperdstown Va, at
which / was present and where we were
forced to retire across the Potomac on &C.
count of the great strength of the enemy,
/ know that General Aiger. then Colonel
Alger of the Fifth Michigan cavalry, COM
manding his own and the Sixth Michigan
cavalry, was detailed to protect the cross
ing OF the balance of the command with
the artillery and train, which he accom-
plished. During this campaign General
Ayers health was very much impaired,
and the night after our crossing into
Maryland from SheperdsJown he was very
i'll.
Sent to the Hospital by Wooster.
"The following morning as we were gath
ering the sick and wounded together to send
to the hospital 1 informed Colonel Alger
that he was not able to march and must
go to the hospital. This was customary
for surgeons in the field to do when the
command was on the move. and l accord
ingly directed that Colonel Alger be sent
to Annapolis with others, and distinctly
remember that / told him l would for
ward the proper papers to him there, as
we wished to get the sick and wounded
away at once. made application for his
leave to General Custer, reporting the
facts, and supposed that it was granted,
and never heard to the contrary until yes
terday.
An Aot of Injustice.
ain my opinion there never was a more
unjust act committed against soldier
than that which is reported to have been
by General Custer in his reporting him as
absent without leave and recommending
his dismissal All who knew General
Aiger in the war knew he was very
prompt and punctual i'll his duties, and he
would have been one of the last men in the
world to disobey an order or fail to per-
form his duties. II there is any person re-
sponsible for his being sent to the hospital
without the proper order accompanying, I
am that person.
Wants 1t Filed With the Record.
Dir. Wooster asks General Kelton to "do
General Alger and me the justice to file
this sworn statement with his war record
in your Office" This letter is dated De
troll, Feb. Il, 1892 and is accompanied by
an affidavit sworn to and subscribed before
William T. Degroof, notary public of
Wayne county, Michigan, that "the above
statement is true in substance and fact"
General Alger has also requested General
KeltoR to file the statement with the war
record.
Ayers Friends at Work.
General Ayers friends are taking ad-
vantage of the attack on his war record to
put his candidacy on an aggressive basis.
They think that the statement sent out
from Detroit by the general completely
disposesr Of Editor Dsna's charges about
his discharge from the army having been
made under a cloud. They are, however,
gathering additional evidence in detail to
show that the generals record is as clear
as the MONDAY sun, and that whatever
shadow was thrown over it must have
been by enemies In Grand Army and po-
litical circles here the weight of opinion is
overwhelmingly in favor of General a lCer
SENETnR MOI COLTS NlENMS