The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-15
ALGEns WAR RECORD.
II Is Full of Credit to Hin Excepting t,'
rust mr. nncumcnf

|
H.
II Is Full of Credit to Hin Excepting tho
Custer Document.
DETROIT, Mrcir., March 14.-Gencral
Alger this morning mntlo public his
war record. 1t includes great host Of
official documents from army officers
warmly praising Alger and recommend
ing him for promotion, and along with
them is tho report OF General Custer,
Recommending the dismissal OF Alger
from tho service. Tho entire record Is
full OF credit to Alger, with tho single
exception Of tho Custer document, and
the Endorsements thereto, aud OF course
iiit had not been tor this portion OF 1t
tho record would not at this time have
boon brought in such prominence.
Tho report and recommendations OF
General Custer arc given in full, with
tho endorsements.
Gonorul Ayers reply is to this effect:
On August g.. 1864, month and ten
days before General Ayers report, Col
oncl Algcr wrote II letter to Secretary
Stanton rendering his resignation. lii
that letter he said:
"First-I have been in the military
service Of tho United States nearly
three years, having enlisted in August,
1861, and have boon of duty but eight
days, except on account OF wounds, six
OF those eight days being on account OF
sickness. Secondly private business
Mt homo has become such and is in such
condition that my presence there TO at
tend to 1t is necessary in order to enable
mo to save anything from it"
President Lincoln Endorsed this lettor
as follows: n
'Lct this resignation be accepted.
"a. LINCOLN.
august S, 1861"
1t will be seen that this acceptance
by the President was dated q month
and eight days earlier than tho date OF
General Clusters letter regarding Algcr.
Alter leaving the President, with his
accepted resignation in his possession,
Colonel Alger found that there was
prospect OF IN active campaign in the
Shenandoah Valley. Ho did not pre-
sent his resignation at tho war depart
mcnt, but hastily rcarranged his bust
ness as well as possible, and started for
tho scene OF operations, arriving, on ac-
count OF misiniormation MS to the time
OF tho departure OF tho train, one day
late. 1t will DO seen that Colonel Alger
did not have to report to tho brigade
commander at NIL if he had desired to
quit the service at that time. He did
not present his resignation, but went to
the front. Six weeks later, on Septem-
Der 16, 1864, the date OF General. Clusters
report and seven days before it had re.
ceived its final endorsements, he ten
dercd his resignation anew. The same
day it was accepted by tho President.
The acceptance was endorsed by the
secretary OF war on September II, and
by special order OF September 20, 1864
signed by Adjt. Gen. L. D. Townsend,
he was honorably discharged from the
service Of tho United States.
Tho papers which accompany General
Ayers record include letter from
General Custer to the secretary OF war,
dated October 10, 1868, in which Custer
recommends him Tor a brigadicrgcneral-
ship, saying: As an officer and a gem
tleman, Colonel Algcr justly enjoys the
HiSiSse SsNSeil VI uOJli HIS COulllillu
and his commanding officers. Ever
ready to perform his duty at any and all
times, and zeal in the cause ior which
We arc fighting, he has proved himself
worthy OF highest confidence of all. l
therefore earnestly and cordially recon-
mend him to your consideration, fully
believing that any trust reposed in him
will be skillfully and faithfully per-
formed by him, with honor to himself
and credit to our army, and to the noble
cause in which VIC arc engaged"
This application was renewed by Gus
ter under date OF June %, 1864; endors-
cd by Gen. Sheridan, June 90; forward
edwithout comment by General Meade,
July 5; sent by Gen. Sherman to the
Adjutant General OF the Army OF the
Potomac, on July II, and approved by
Gen. Meade, July 20, 1861. On the same
day Gen. Grant wrote 4 letterapproving
all the recommendations in the list in
which Ayers name appeared.
A letter from Gen. Sheridan to Hon.
T. w. Kellogg, member OF Congress
from Michigan, under date of July 49,
1864, says: "When | recommended Col.
Alger, Fifth Michigan Cavalry, for pro-
motion. it was with the expectation that
he would be ordered to- report to me.
l have n brigade to give him."
Gen. Alger was afterward brevctted q
Brigadicr General OF Volunteers, and
on February p, 1867, by order Of Sec
rotary Stanton, was ordered appointed
n Brevct Major General Of Volunteers.
These brevct commissions were signed
by President Johnson, to whom Gen.
Alger was politically opposed.
Thereby is declared by Gen. Ayers
friends in.this city and state to be emf
nently satisfactory.