Gen. Alger

I' is ,ju9t twcnty-two yfars since I first knew Riissell A. Alger. It was eorly In the war, wbtiu we wern both young men, offlcuf In the sixth Michigan cavalry. Ths frlendshlp then begun has Daver bepn for one moment íuterrupted. The wave of patriotic fervor thflt swept over the laod m 18(11 at the first round ol war carried him, wíth thcusands of loyalheartod young men, luto tbe ormy of tbe Union, and from that momeot untll the euQ of war eet et Appomattox Russell A. Algor never swerved from the courageom ard conscientlous dis charge of his duty as a soldier and patriot. He was pingled ont for frequent promotion and was succesfively cap'ain and major of the secrud Michigan cavalry, Pliil Sheridtin's regiment, on duty in the Sonthwes. In 18(13 Gov. Blair fent for Mm to come and take t'ie lieutenant co'onelcy of the sixth cavalry, then in rendezvousat Grand Raplds,hlshrme W" itb this command he joined the army of the Potomae. When tbe colonel of tbe Fifth resigrjed Lieut.-Col. Algcr's eonspicuous fitness i0 sed him to Ie telecled ior the posl tion, and he remained in command of that fine regiment till ueiir the clore of the war, when he was selec'od by President Lincoln to go on a confjdenlial mission to the southern stales, receiving orders direct frim tbe president. He was brevet'ed brigadl' r-general and rnajor-gen'ral for "gallnrjt and meritorious services during the war." THE FIELD OF (iKTTVSBUBG. It is a litt e more than twenty one years fince the fate of this nation hung suspended by a ihread on the plalns and hights of Gettsyburg. Tno migbty hosta thatjhad been contonding for twodays moved out at dawn of day to engage in one of the blondest bntrles knowu in hietory. Before night thousands of brave men on büth sldea were to sleep the sleep that knows no waking. On 'he issue of thtt battle dt pended the qnesiion whetlier tbe stars aud strlpe-s were to continue to float as the endblem of a free and united nation or ík fluüg In the dus-t, and the standard of a uauseless and wicked reb ilion sel up lo tbeir stoad. ïhefiowt-rof the rebel cava1 rT, led by thofe brave knights - S ujrt, Hampt'n and Fitzhugli Lo - was iuased on the left of the Confedérate line to charge the Union rlght, opeuing a way for the gray Unes of infantry to the rear of Meade. liy oonimon consent the cavalry of lliehiean were given the chief honor of saving the Ui ion rivbt The chnrgo wís mee hnd to hand, steel to steel, and reculsed, tbus thwartIng one cf the most d-soa'aie atteujpts nude that üay to brt-ak tDe Union lines. michigan's thkee war leaders. Three men of Michigan were coDspIcuous for their leadership io that battle. Two of thein have gone over to the ehadowy land, leaving behind Dames that wili never be eraeed from the pages of Ammcan history - I niprtii George A. Cnster and Charles H. Towr. The third Is etill living. He is a soldier-citizeu ot Michigan, his adopted state. He is for the firs' tune in fris life a candiiate fur any ollice. His name heads the ReDuliean Mate ticket. It is needless 1o say it is Rus'ell A. Alger, the hero of Getcysburg. The boy wbo was bom oii that nièaiorat-le íití dy of July, 1S(53, is now of aae aula voter - wiíl perbaps cast his firèt VOt at the coming tlectiou. Suoh a ons may wel] refl et whether he does not owe a debt of groti'ude nhich can be but in a pmali part dlschargei by cast'ng his firet ballot fur Gen. Alger, the ruau who helpcd to sive the Unlou vigut at Gt ttysburg. THE DEATH STRL'GQLE IR THE WILDERNüSiS Elght months later Lee and Grant were eugaged in a deatb grapple io the wilds of the wllderuefs. Gen. Hancock held the left of the Uuion line. Gen. Custer was orderod to make a connection with Hancock's left, but beiore he oould get the brigade into position a large forre of rebel cavalry, headed by tho iotreuld Rosser, made a bojd dash to break through. The fust onset was met and repulsed by Ghd. Cu-ter in person at tbe head of the tir6t aud i-ixth Michgan regiments, which were postad at a poiut where tbe rebel civiilry debouclud from the woods into a large opn field. Bete-n thia field and the left of HancocK's iufantry line was a thick wood, and I was ordered bv Gen. Cueter to take ,1many men of tbe Sixth as I cuu'd r.llyat nuce and occupy this wood, connect with the intauiry line, and prevent any moveinent tiirougu this open gap. As the fiaht W8s s'ill raging in tbe lied, I was able to wiihdraw only a ponlon of the vegiiu' nt, and in a few momeuts encountered a heavy iorce, oatnumberinsr us at least five to oue, moving towanis Cus er's rear Determina d to hold tlieir own atrainst these frarful odd- as long as possible, the little ferce stood braely up to the work, usilic their Speucer rifles with deadiy ettVct. Word was sent t'or reinforcemeuts whiuh came none too soou to prevent our autnhilatioii. ALGER AND BIS MKX IN TIMÏ. Two full reeiuients just reporttug on the field were sent to our aid. In a Boltd line of two ranks, with Spencer rifles loaded' for bear, the fiíth Michigan and seventeenth Feunsylvama, by a left half wheel, came into politlón on our rieht. They were dismoumed and moved like infantry. Close up to the line, inounted on his horse, cool as if on dress parade, rode the conjmnnder of the two magnificent leinients. "Sleady, mea, forward," be wbs heñid to say, a d with a cbeer, in whfnh the fixth jnined, the line swejvt through the wo ds. The enemy was routtd. He left his ciead and wounded in our Land-s. The left had been saved as was the rlglit at Gettyshurg, It need not be said that the cbol and iutrepid officer who rode into the leaden huil in the Wiiderness was the sarnu who Btood like a stnne wali in ihs way of Stuart's cavalrv eight [oonths before. He was none other iban Kussi 11 A. Alaer. Il was fortune to be a wltness of the hearing of Gen. Algf r in scores of angageinents during ihe war. 1 taw his desperate cliarae t Tievillian Station; saw him amid the fearful curnasje at Hawe'fl Shnp tnd at Cold Harbor; caw him li-ad tbe fiftb and sixtn acrus a railroad bridge i-gainst murderuus lire of anilltry at Meadow Briilgu; an i I never saw htm iliuch or fail to do bis full duty as an officer.. Ilf CIVIL LIFE KO I.ESS A HERO. Tbe close of hostilities found Gen. Aleer poor. His career siuce 18Ü5 bas beeu one of the mosi reinarkable in the annals of business. His success nas been pheoominal, and proves that he posfesses executive ability of tuehighest order. The wealth which us come lo him hns bpen the rtsult of leüitmate eut,t-r;rise. He r.ever gatnbled. He liever sptculated. He üad no govornment cuntracts, do rleh fnends, nopolitioal mñufnues to aid hlni. From tfje rima when he went into the woods along the Hurin sliore with a pack on hls bnek to the preseut he las pursued the one honorable callln, and It is greatly to hu credit that he has grown rich ; for he has dane it by honoet methods, and his name is a synonym for business probity. His interests are coufintd to no oue losilii.y, nor to either península, hut are as broad as the eniire siate. He isemphat'cally now, as in 1S04, Gen. Alger, not of Kent or of VVayne, but of Mi. hign. His record ond ïvpuiation, uts name anl fame belong to all of us, to a 1 t'.e coui.tits In ihc st to. TliBt b will be eloctod tlieio ig not a ibad ¦ ut doubt. WHY HIS FRIENDS LOVE HIM. Spoaklng from an intímate kuowledge of him as be appeured In varioua relations oí Ufe, I ca fay that no truer man Uves within i he bcuuc'aries of the peninsular state, lirave as a lion, yet geutle as a wonian, affablcin manners, kiud and considérate, and íull of cbarlty for the faults of thers, he alays rnaintained tho most perfect control over biimeif. Duriup four ycars of service iu the ariny, whieh tiied íhe meml of most men he never 'asted liquor except when In tho hospital suffertng íiom woundaitwas prescribed by n surgeon. Isu one ever heard hiui nt:cr a profune oath. Such poise and felf comnund are as rare as tLiey are ndtnirablf. ís there a Kepublloan who oannot "nthufiiastically íuppurt 'lio only foldier who has over bten named iu tliis siate for Kovernor- aud such a soldier as Hnssell A. Alper? One liossftsiDir all the qualit ea that are admired iu tbe character oí Kiauey or Bayard- a man itliout fear and without reroacb? Ñay, rither, will not BCOl'fí of old veterans, who are not allied to the Republiian party, pt ried by the ujemories of the past, jiay the tribute of ttielr ndmiraiion for 'he sttrliug mnnhond of the brave soldier-citizen whose name h a'ls ( ur stute ticket by depoíitiLc; their votes for him n Nuvember nexi?