The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-16
PHIL SHERIDAN ENDORSED IT
The Wolverine Colonel Left His Command at
Harper's Ferry, August 20, 1854, With
out Permission Sick Dodge.

/
q surprise to great many citizens who's,
knowledge of Ayers record had been de
rived exclusively from unofficial and NOR,
or less
AUToBIoGRAPHICAL LITERATURE OF VANITY
AND BOOM.
In no sketch of General Ayers career tina
we have ever read-and since his appear
ance as presidential candidate on
platform of patriotism and pensions WE
have read many such sketches-ls there
line or word indicating Alger did not serve
until the war was over, or that there was
anything peculiar about his discharge
nevertheless, every statement made by the
Sun month ago, and since that time de-
MED or ev AIDED by this seIf-nomiuated can.
dldate for President of the United States
was true and exactly true, except as tc
minor details hereinafter specified. Gen
erai Alger has been forced, much against
his WILL to make public the official docu.
ments relating to his absence without leave
from his post Of duty, and
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIS DIsHoNoRABLE
DISCHARGE
from the army forestalled by his hasty re-
slgnation at Washington. His brigade com
mander, General Custer, whom AIger now
accuses of dishonorable personal spite, re-
ported as follows on September IL, 1864 to
division headquarters:
Headquarters, First brigade, First di-
vision cavalry, Middle Military division,
September IL, 1864.
captain A. e. Dana, A. A. c. First Di-
vision Cavalry:
I'm compliance with the instructions of
the general commanding the division, l
have the hn0nr limit no oil
port in the case of Colonel R. A Alger,
Fifth Michigan cavalry, stating the time at
which he left the command, for what pur-
purpose, by what authority and his present
whereabouts. Colonel Alger left this COM
mand on the morning of August % as it
marched through Barper's Ferry to rejoin
the division near Halltown.
HE has BEEN ABSENT SINCE.
1 was not aware of his absence when the
brigade halted to feed near Halltown, when
as Surgeon st. Clair informed me that
Colonel Alger, owing to some indisposition
had remained at house in Harper's Ferry
At the same time Surgeon st. Clair pre-
sented for my approval an application from
Colonel Alger for leave of absence for
twenty days. Alger had, two or three
times previous to this, applied for 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. L returned Colonel Alger's ap-
plication without my approval. He failed
to join his command. l first heard of him
again as stopping at the Law house in
Baltimore. l now have authentic informa-
ton that he is staying at one of the hotels
in Washington and that he has been placed
nntU rho lattar 0itu q IF
the general court-martial. How he came
TO be detailed l cannot say. He left this
command without authority, and after
having been refused leave of absence, and
1 have directed that he be reported
ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE
On the muster rolls of his regiment
sc. A. CUSTER,
"Brigadier- General Commanding.
This statement Of facts was received by
General Wesley Merritt, and by him for
warded to General Torbert the chief of
cavalry, with the endorsement: The
case mentioned within is the third in which
Colonel Alger has absented himself from
command without proper authority since
the commencement of the present years
campaign. Severe measures should be
taken to prevent recurrence of this
evil (Signed) Wv. MERRITT,
'Brigadier-G General Commanding'
And then it went to General Sheridan
bearing also this recommendation from
General Torbert: Respectfully for
warded with the recommendation
THAT HE BE DISMISSED FROM THE SERVICE
for absence without leave, subject to the
approval of the President. Such cases are
too numerous, and the security OF officers
requires that immediate action TO be taken.
(Signed) A. T. A. Torbert, Brevet Major
General and Chief of Cavalry"
General Sheridan sent tae report and re-
commentator to Washington with these
remarks: 81 understand that Colonel Alger
is on some duty in Washington. but it is
evident that he has left his command with
out authority, and it appears that he has
done so before l have always considered
Colonel Alger good officer, but
CANNOT EXCUSE HIS CONDUCT
or withhold my approval of the recon-
mendation of his immediate commanders.
(Signed) P. II. Sheridan, Maori General"
Meanwhile, at Washington, Colonel
Alger had resigned his command and pro-
cured his discharge on September 20, 1864.
The points at which we desire to amend
our original statement of February IL are
these: First, it was stated by the Sun that
Colonel Alger's application for leave OF
absence, upon the refusal of which
HE DEPARTED WITHOUT LEAVE,
was for ten days. General Custer's re-
port shows Colonel Alger's application was
for an absence of twenty days. Secondly,
it was stated by the Sun that the disap-
proval of this application proceeded from
General Wesley Merritt, commander OF the
division The application for leave was re-
fused, and the refusal reported to General
Merritt by Ayers brigade commander,
General Custer. Thirdly, it was stated by
the Sun the fact of Colonel Alger's absence
without leave was reported by General
Merritt to General Sheridan and it was in
timated that the first distinct recommends
ton for dismissal from the service, which
is dishonorable discharge,
PROCEEDED FROM GENERAL SHERIDAN.
The exact truth is that the report of facts
went from Merritt to Torbert, who recon.
mended dismissal, and thence to General
Sheridan, who approved the recommends
ton for dismissal. The official documents
quoted above now see the light for the first
time. Through force of circumstances,
General Alger himself had the melancholy
privilege Of making public the disgraceful
record.
Shot His Employers and Himself
T1FFIN, O., March 15.-Walter Snyder
shot Ed Naylor. Bert Crobaugh and
Thomas w. Downey and killed himself,
was the announcement that greeted the