Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-05-25
ALGER IN THE CIVIL WAR.
The 0ficial Records Establish a Fact
Heretofore Denied

During and since tie war with Spail
Gen. Rufus A. Alger, President Nc
Kinley's Secretary of War, has beer
severely criticised by the people ant
press for his several shortcomings
which border on inc"mpetency. About
the time the "rumpus" started 1t was
| stated i'll CcDgrt ss and elsewhere thai
Alger was a deserter. This, in con.
nection with other charges, was de-
MED by the administration organs and
whitewash by the car lca1 va, broug ht
into play to cover up everything that
was hurtfuI to Alger and the admins
tration But the whitewash that had
been used SO freely did not reach the
! official records of the civil war, and a
Republican paper up North has pub
lished it as news. 1t is as follows:
"Gen. Custer on the 10th of Septem-
Der, 1864, sent this report to head
quarters
"In compliance with the instructions
Of the General commanding the dlvis-
ion, [ have the honor to submit the
following report on the case of Col.
r. A. Alger, 5th Michigan Cavalry,
stating the time at which lie left the
command, for what purpose, by what
authority, and his present wherea-
bouts Col. Alger left this command
the morning of August %, 1864. as it
marched through Harper's Ferry, to
rejoin the division near Halltown. He
has been absent since that date. was
not aware of his absence until this
brigade halted to feed near Halltown,
when Assistant Surgeon st. Clair, of
the 1st Michigan Cavalry, informed
me that Col. Aiger, owing to some
indispOsition, had remained at house
in Harper's Ferry. At the same time,
Assistant Surgeon st. Clair presented
for my approval an application from
Col. Alger for leave of absence for 20
days.
''As Col. Alger had two OF 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 cor
rect, as it has in the case now referred |
to, 1 returned Col. Alger's application
my approval. He failed to
Join his command. l first heard of
him again as stopping at the Eutaw
House, in Baltimore, Md. l now have
and reliable information that
be is staying at one of the hotels at
W Washington, d. c., and that he has
Oeen placed on duty in the latter city
Is a member of the general court mar
,ial. How be came to be detailed l
cannot say. He left his command
without authority, and after having
oeen refused leave of absence from
;hese headquarters, and have direct.
ID that he be reported absent without
cave ON the muster rolls of his regi-
nent.
"Gen. Merritt made this endorse
nent: Respectfully forwarded for the
action of the chief of cavalry. The
case mentioned within Is the third in
which Col. A1ger has absented himself
from the command without proper au
thority since the commencement OF
the present years campaign. Severe
should be taken to prevent a
of this evil
"And General Torbert said: Re
spactfully forwarded, with the recon-
that he be dismissed from |
the service for absence without leave,
subject to the approval of the Presi-
dent. Such cases are too numerous,
and the scarcity of officers req uires i'm
mediate action to be taken.'
ITO this General Sheridan added:
Respectfully forwarded. l under
stand that Colonel Alger is on some
military duty at Washington, but it is
evident that he has left his command |
" ithout authority, and it appears that
he has done so before. | have always |
Colonel Alger good officer,
but cannot excuse his conduct or
withhold nv approval to the recon- |