| Show AJgers War Record Assailed DETROIT Feb 12Tee New York Sun yesterday contained an editorial discussing he military career of General Russell A Aiger disclosing the existence among the fficial records of tho war department of a recommendation of Custer dated twenty three years ago that General Alger bo dishonorably dis-honorably discharged for being absent from his command without leave Tho editorial torial says Alger was discharged from the service September 20 Th64 as the result of this recommendation The text of the ed torial was telegraphed to Alger last night and ho made an explicit denial of the charges made against him stating that ho was honorably discharged and not dismissed dis-missed as stated In the course of his denial de-nial he said I In AugustlS6int Shepherds town Va on tho Potomac I had been ill but was on duty I went into camp that night and not being able to march o next morning was zg ng sent with others who were sick to the hospital at Annapolis Md After remaining remain-ing there a few days and recovering sufficiently ciently to bo around camp I was detailed on courtmartial at Washington where I reported and served a little time and resigned re-signed as I was not able to enter the field und did not like courtmartial service Along in June and July 18t54 General Cus tar requested me at several times to have his brother Thomas appointed as lieutenant in my regiment as he wished to have him serve on his staff As he did not belong to myregiment I declined and in hot declned a conversation con-versation about it one day he told me I would regret it some day I said to him I would rather resign than to have an outsider out-sider promoted into my regiment when I had deserving men in the ranks I never knew or suspected there was the slightest question about my being properly sent with a large number of sick and wounded I men to Annapolis on General Custers recommendation I he knew the facts it was one of the most cruel outrages ever perpetrated upon a soldier |
