Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-15

and final discharge of the general IL IN
cludes favorable Endorsements from time
/ to tine. The portion that answers the
charges made by the New York sun is the
most interesting The report and recon-
mendations of General Custer are also in
| teres ing, as it was upon Clusters report
that Alger's dismissal for absence without
| leave was recommended.
The Great Cavalryman's Report.
Sept. 10, 1854, General Custer reported
, to Captain A. f. Dana, A A. IL, that
Alger left the command Aug. p to rejoin
it near Halltown and had not been on
/ hand since; that he Custer did not know
| that Alger was absent until late on the day
| he left, when Assistant Surgeon st Claire,
of the First Michigan cavalry, presented
an application for leave OF absence for
twenty days for Alger, stating that Alger
vas indisposed. Custer says thatsas Alger
! shad, two or three times previous to this,
applied for a similar leave of absence
when in my opinion he was fit for duty,
and which opinion subsequently proved
| to be correct, as it has in the case now re-
| ferred to- i returned Colonel Ayers APP
I plicatl on without my approval"
The Report Was Passed Along.
Custer says that he first heard of Alger
at the Eutaw house in Baltimore, and later
ut Washington, where Alger had detail
1 on a court-martisl; Custer had Alger re-
| ported absent without leave, and saws:
. "He LETT this command without authority
: and after having been refused leave of
/ absence from these headquarters The
! next officer to have anything to do with
the foregoing report was General Merritt,
! who forwarded it to the chief of cavalry
with the remark that severe measures
should be taken. Chief of Cavalry Tor
bert took severe measures, recommending
dismissal from the service, because the
evil of absence without leave was grow.
ing one and needed checking.
What Phil sheridan Wrote.
General Phil Sheridan passed on the
report next saying that it was evident that
Alger mad left his command without
authority 'and it appears he has done 50
before. / have always considered Colonel
Alger good officer, but cannot excuse his
conduct or withhold my approval of the
recommendation of his immediate com
nIanderS."
The Coionels Honorable Discharge.
The last Of the official documents reads
As follows:
WAR DEPARTMENT, A. G. O., Sept. 3, lS6i-
Respect lilly returned. This officer was honor1-
bly, disch arged from the service by :. .. 3 l.
Sept ID sGi, from this Office
T. NJ. VINCENT,
Assistant Adjutant General.
On Aug. 8, 1864, month and ten days
before General Clusters report Colonel
Alger wrote letter to Secretary Stanton
tendering his resignation because his pri-
vate business was in such shape as abso-
lutely to require his presence at home if he
o.
! dent indorsed the letter Aug S, iSGi "i.ot
this resignation be accepted"
Went Back to the Ranks Again.
This acceptance 10y the president was
dated month and eight days earlier than
the date Of General Clusters letter regard
ing Alger After leaving the president.
| with his accC pied resignation in his pos
| session, Colonel Alger learned that there
! was prospec 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 Is possible and started for the scene
of Operat ons. arriving on account Of mis-
information a. to the time of the departure
, of the train, one day late.
Had to Resign Anew.
Six weeks later on sept. Is, 1SG4 the
date of General Clusters report, and seven
! days before it had received its final in
! dorsemen-s, he rendered his resignation
I anew. The same day It was accepted by
| the presi lent. The acceptance was in
dorsed by the secretary of war on Sept. Il.
and by special order Of sept. 20, 1864 signed
! by Adjutunt General T.. d. Townsend, he
was honorably discharged from the serv-
/ ice of the United States.
some Stnng Endorsements.
! 4 letter is included in the record from
, General Custer to the secretary Of war,
! dated oct ~ 1sC3, in which Custer re-
commends him Tor n brigadier generalship.
/ saying: As an officer and gentleman
| Colonel Alger justly enjoys the highest
! esteem OF Doth his command and his com
handing officers" and some more of the
same if no. more so. Jan. 2G, 1864, the APP
plication was renewed, endorsed by Phil
/ Sheridan and approved by General Meade
/, and General Grant, while Sheridan wrote
Il have brigade to give him"
That Title of General
General Alger was afterward brevetted a
| brigadier general of volunteers and on
| Feb %, 1871, by order of Secretary Stan
ton, was ordered appointed a brevet major
! general of volunteers. These brevet com
missions We're signed by President John
: son, to whom Geu,ral Alger was political
| ly opposed.