Russell A. Alger
Encyclopedia
Russell Alexander Alger (February 27, 1836 January 24, 1907) was the 20th Governor
and U.S. Senator from the state
of Michigan
and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley
. He was supposedly a distant relation of Horatio Alger; although Russell Alger lived his own "rags-to-riches" success tale, eventually becoming a financier, lumber baron, railroad owner, and government official in several high offices.
. His parents were Russell and Caroline (Moulton) Alger. He was orphaned at age 13 and worked on a farm to support himself and two younger siblings. He attended Richfield Academy in Summit County, Ohio
, and taught country school for two winters. He studied law in Akron, Ohio
, and was admitted to the bar
in March 1859. He first began to practice law in Cleveland
and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan
, in 1860, where he engaged in the lumber business.
On April 2, 1861, he married Annette H. Henry of Grand Rapids
. They had six children; Fay, Caroline, Frances, Russell Jr., Fred and Allan.
He was the scion of a prominent family, many of whom became involved in 20th century Michigan politics and active in the Republican Party
.
His son, Russell A. Alger, Jr., was instrumental in persuading the Packard Motor Car Company to move to Michigan from Ohio; he also built in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
, a palatial Italian Renaissance
style estate, "The Moorings", which was donated in 1949 and became the Grosse Pointe War Memorial
, honoring veterans of World War II
.
Russell A. Alger had a home in Black River which is in Alcona Township, Michigan
, which he maintained while overseeing his lumbering operations.
in 1861. He was commissioned and served as a captain and major
in the 2nd Michigan Cavalry Regiment. At the Battle of Boonesville, July 11, 1862, he was sent by Colonel Philip Sheridan
to attack the enemy's rear with ninety picked men. The Confederate
forces were soundly defeated, and although Alger was wounded and taken prisoner, he escaped the same day. On October 16, he was made lieutenant colonel
of the 6th Michigan Cavalry.
On February 28, 1863, he was promoted to colonel
of the 5th Michigan Cavalry. His command was the first to enter Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
, on June 28, and he was specially mentioned in the report of General George Armstrong Custer
on cavalry operations there. Alger was considered a military strategist and stood with President Lincoln on the battlefield surveying the Union supplies and while pursuing the enemy on July 8, he was severely wounded at Boonesborough, Maryland
. He participated in General Sheridan’s Valley Campaigns of 1864
in Virginia
. On June 11, 1864, at Trevillian Station, he captured a large force of Confederates with a brilliant cavalry charge. Alger resigned from the army on September 20, 1864. On January 13, 1866, President
Andrew Johnson
nominated Alger for the award of the grade of brevet
brigadier general
of volunteers to rank from June 11, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 12, 1866. On February 28, 1867, President Johnson nominated Alger for the award of the grade of brevet major general of volunteers to rank from June 11, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 2, 1867.
In three years, he served in 66 different battles and skirmishes. In 1868, he was elected the first commander of the Michigan department of the Grand Army of the Republic
, and in 1889 became its national Commander-in-chief at the Twenty-Third National Encampment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
as head of Alger, Smith & Company and the Manistique Lumbering Company. His great pine forest on Lake Huron
comprised more than 100 square miles (259 km²) and produced annually more than 75000000 board feet (176,980.3 m³) of lumber.
At the turn of the 20th century (following Alger's service as Secretary of War), he and Florida landowner Martin Sullivan established the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company, which milled lumber in Century, Florida
.
, serving from January 1, 1885, to January 1, 1887. He declined renomination in 1886 and was a presidential elector on the Republican ticket in 1888. In 1888, he was elected as the first Commander of the Michigan Department of the Grand Army of the Republic
and as the 18th Commander-in-Chief of the GAR in 1889.
Alger was appointed Secretary of War
in the Cabinet
of U.S. President William McKinley
on March 5, 1897. As Secretary, he recommended pay increases for military personnel serving at foreign embassies and legation
s. He recommended legislation to authorize a Second Assistant Secretary of War and recommended a constabulary
force for Cuba
, Puerto Rico
, and the Philippines
. He was criticized for the inadequate preparation and inefficient operation of the department during the Spanish-American War
, especially for his appointment of William R. Shafter as leader of the Cuban expedition. "Algerism" became an epithet to describe the claimed incompetence of the army, especially as compared to the more stellar performance of the navy. Alger resigned at President McKinley’s request, August 1, 1899, though he perhaps got the last word on his critics by publishing The Spanish-American War in 1901.
One interesting sidelight of Alger's career in the McKinley Administration was his personal vendetta against former Confederate partisan Col. John Singleton Mosby. Mosby, a famous (or notorious) figure, had been United States Consul at Hong Kong, China under Hayes but had been replaced with the election of Democrat Grover Cleveland. Upon his return to the United States, Mosby had taken a position obtained for him by his close friend former President Ulysses S. Grant with the Southern Pacific Railroad which he held for fifteen years. When the railroad changed ownership, Mosby lost his position so when McKinley became President, he returned east to seek out a position with the new administration. Mosby had known McKinley for many years through his involvement in Republican politics both in Virginia and California.
Unknown to Mosby as he headed east with hopes of a good position with the new Administration, Alger was doing all in his power to thwart the former Confederate guerrilla. His hatred for Mosby was personal. While Alger served with Sheridan in the Shenandoah in 1864, a number of his command had been caught burning homes in the Valley and had been executed by members of Mosby's command as war criminals. Alger never forgot nor forgave what had happened for though Mosby was not present at the time of the events, he had concurred with the actions of his men. So despite having been asked to send a list to the McKinley Administration of what posts he desired, by the time he arrived from the West Coast Mosby found that all had been "unexpectedly" given to someone else and he was forced to return to the West Coast disappointed and unemployed. But Alger's involvement with the defeat of Mosby's hopes did not remain hidden. It was reported in the May 11th, 1898 San Francisco Call under the headline "Alger Dislikes Mosby" and it is probable that until he read that article, the 65 year old Mosby had no idea that his failure to obtain a position was anything other than bad luck.
Eventually, the feisty old Virginian outlasted both Alger and McKinley and in 1902, he was appointed as an investigator with the Department of the Interior by McKinley's successor, Teddy Roosevelt to deal with Nebraska cattle barons who were fencing in government lands contrary to federal law. But Mosby's troubles were far from over. He ran into difficulties when his investigation led to indictments against several very prominent and wealthy cattlemen. Efforts were made by the Senators from Nebraska to have Mosby removed from the investigation by claiming that he had charged them with misconduct and it is probable - but not provable - that then Senator Alger might well have helped in that effort given his feelings about the old Confederate. So Mosby was removed, but in the end, the cattlemen were convicted and one died in prison while at least one Senator who had charged Mosby with misconduct was himself removed from office for misconduct.
On September 27, 1902, Alger was appointed by Michigan Governor Aaron T. Bliss
to the United States Senate
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of James McMillan
. He was subsequently elected by the Michigan State Legislature to the Senate in January 1903. He served until his death in Washington, D.C.
in 1907. During a memorial address in remembrance of Senator Alger, Senator John Spooner
of Wisconsin
said of the late senator: "No man without noble purpose, well-justified ambitions, strong fiber, and splendid qualities in abundance could have carved out and left behind him such a career." He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Pacific Railroads
during the 59th Congress. He is interred in Elmwood Cemetery
in Detroit, Michigan
.
Alger County, Michigan
is named for him. A monument by Detroit sculptor Carlo Romanelli
, consisting of a bronze bust of Alger mounted on a stone pedestal, is located on the grounds of the William G. Mather Building in Munising, Michigan
. It was erected in June, 1909, with funds provided by the heirs of Alger and by the Board of Education of the Munising Township Schools. A memorial fountain by sculptor Daniel Chester French
and architect Henry Bacon
was dedicated in Detroit in 1921.
In 1898, a movie was made, entitled General Wheeler and Secretary of War Alger at Camp Wikoff, that documents an official visit as Secretary of War. Camp Wikoff was in New Jersey, and this was an early event that permitted the McKinley administration to garner support from the New York newspapers.
In May 1898, his War Department established Camp Russell A. Alger on a farm of 1400 acres (5.7 km²) called "Woodburn Manor" near the small communities of Falls Church
and Dunn Loring, Virginia
. In its brief existence, 23,000 men trained there for service in the Spanish-American War
. Faced with a typhoid fever
epidemic
, it was abandoned the month that the War ended (in August 1898), and sold the following month. It is commemorated by an official Virginia historical marker.
Alger, Michigan is also named after him. It is a small community founded in the late-19th century located in the area of the lower peninsula where he oversaw lumbering and railroad operations.
The Grosse Pointe War Memorial
is housed in one of the Alger family's former homes.
The Southeast side Grand Rapids, Michigan
neighborhood Alger Heights is named after him.
In 1942, a United States
Liberty ship
named the SS Russell A. Alger
was planned. She was cancelled before construction.
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
and U.S. Senator from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
. He was supposedly a distant relation of Horatio Alger; although Russell Alger lived his own "rags-to-riches" success tale, eventually becoming a financier, lumber baron, railroad owner, and government official in several high offices.
Early life and career
Alger was born on February 27, 1836, in Lafayette Township in Medina County, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. His parents were Russell and Caroline (Moulton) Alger. He was orphaned at age 13 and worked on a farm to support himself and two younger siblings. He attended Richfield Academy in Summit County, Ohio
Summit County, Ohio
Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron...
, and taught country school for two winters. He studied law in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in March 1859. He first began to practice law in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, in 1860, where he engaged in the lumber business.
On April 2, 1861, he married Annette H. Henry of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. They had six children; Fay, Caroline, Frances, Russell Jr., Fred and Allan.
He was the scion of a prominent family, many of whom became involved in 20th century Michigan politics and active in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
His son, Russell A. Alger, Jr., was instrumental in persuading the Packard Motor Car Company to move to Michigan from Ohio; he also built in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Grosse Pointe is a suburban city bordering Detroit in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city covers just over one square mile, and had a population of 5,421 at the 2010 census. It is bordered on the west by Grosse Pointe Park, on the north by Detroit, on the east by Grosse Pointe...
, a palatial Italian Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style estate, "The Moorings", which was donated in 1949 and became the Grosse Pointe War Memorial
Grosse Pointe War Memorial
The Grosse Pointe War Memorial, also known as the Russell A. Alger, Jr. House and as the Moorings was dedicated to the memory of veterans and soldiers of World War II. It is located at 32 Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI. It was built in 1910 and served as the family home of Russell A....
, honoring veterans of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Russell A. Alger had a home in Black River which is in Alcona Township, Michigan
Alcona Township, Michigan
Alcona Township is a civil township of Alcona County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,089.-Communities:...
, which he maintained while overseeing his lumbering operations.
Civil War
He enlisted as a private soldier in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1861. He was commissioned and served as a captain and major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the 2nd Michigan Cavalry Regiment. At the Battle of Boonesville, July 11, 1862, he was sent by Colonel Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
to attack the enemy's rear with ninety picked men. The Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
forces were soundly defeated, and although Alger was wounded and taken prisoner, he escaped the same day. On October 16, he was made lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the 6th Michigan Cavalry.
On February 28, 1863, he was promoted to colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 5th Michigan Cavalry. His command was the first to enter Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, on June 28, and he was specially mentioned in the report of General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
on cavalry operations there. Alger was considered a military strategist and stood with President Lincoln on the battlefield surveying the Union supplies and while pursuing the enemy on July 8, he was severely wounded at Boonesborough, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He participated in General Sheridan’s Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. On June 11, 1864, at Trevillian Station, he captured a large force of Confederates with a brilliant cavalry charge. Alger resigned from the army on September 20, 1864. On January 13, 1866, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
nominated Alger for the award of the grade of brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of volunteers to rank from June 11, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 12, 1866. On February 28, 1867, President Johnson nominated Alger for the award of the grade of brevet major general of volunteers to rank from June 11, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the award on March 2, 1867.
In three years, he served in 66 different battles and skirmishes. In 1868, he was elected the first commander of the Michigan department of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
, and in 1889 became its national Commander-in-chief at the Twenty-Third National Encampment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Lumber baron
After the Civil War, Alger settled in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
as head of Alger, Smith & Company and the Manistique Lumbering Company. His great pine forest on Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
comprised more than 100 square miles (259 km²) and produced annually more than 75000000 board feet (176,980.3 m³) of lumber.
At the turn of the 20th century (following Alger's service as Secretary of War), he and Florida landowner Martin Sullivan established the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company, which milled lumber in Century, Florida
Century, Florida
Century is a town in Escambia County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pensacola–Ferry Pass–Brent Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Century is located at ....
.
Politics
In 1884, Alger was elected Governor of MichiganGovernor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
, serving from January 1, 1885, to January 1, 1887. He declined renomination in 1886 and was a presidential elector on the Republican ticket in 1888. In 1888, he was elected as the first Commander of the Michigan Department of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
and as the 18th Commander-in-Chief of the GAR in 1889.
Alger was appointed Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
in the Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
of U.S. President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
on March 5, 1897. As Secretary, he recommended pay increases for military personnel serving at foreign embassies and legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
s. He recommended legislation to authorize a Second Assistant Secretary of War and recommended a constabulary
Constabulary
Constabulary may have several definitions.*A civil, non-paramilitary force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in Britain, in which all county police forces once bore the title...
force for Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He was criticized for the inadequate preparation and inefficient operation of the department during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, especially for his appointment of William R. Shafter as leader of the Cuban expedition. "Algerism" became an epithet to describe the claimed incompetence of the army, especially as compared to the more stellar performance of the navy. Alger resigned at President McKinley’s request, August 1, 1899, though he perhaps got the last word on his critics by publishing The Spanish-American War in 1901.
One interesting sidelight of Alger's career in the McKinley Administration was his personal vendetta against former Confederate partisan Col. John Singleton Mosby. Mosby, a famous (or notorious) figure, had been United States Consul at Hong Kong, China under Hayes but had been replaced with the election of Democrat Grover Cleveland. Upon his return to the United States, Mosby had taken a position obtained for him by his close friend former President Ulysses S. Grant with the Southern Pacific Railroad which he held for fifteen years. When the railroad changed ownership, Mosby lost his position so when McKinley became President, he returned east to seek out a position with the new administration. Mosby had known McKinley for many years through his involvement in Republican politics both in Virginia and California.
Unknown to Mosby as he headed east with hopes of a good position with the new Administration, Alger was doing all in his power to thwart the former Confederate guerrilla. His hatred for Mosby was personal. While Alger served with Sheridan in the Shenandoah in 1864, a number of his command had been caught burning homes in the Valley and had been executed by members of Mosby's command as war criminals. Alger never forgot nor forgave what had happened for though Mosby was not present at the time of the events, he had concurred with the actions of his men. So despite having been asked to send a list to the McKinley Administration of what posts he desired, by the time he arrived from the West Coast Mosby found that all had been "unexpectedly" given to someone else and he was forced to return to the West Coast disappointed and unemployed. But Alger's involvement with the defeat of Mosby's hopes did not remain hidden. It was reported in the May 11th, 1898 San Francisco Call under the headline "Alger Dislikes Mosby" and it is probable that until he read that article, the 65 year old Mosby had no idea that his failure to obtain a position was anything other than bad luck.
Eventually, the feisty old Virginian outlasted both Alger and McKinley and in 1902, he was appointed as an investigator with the Department of the Interior by McKinley's successor, Teddy Roosevelt to deal with Nebraska cattle barons who were fencing in government lands contrary to federal law. But Mosby's troubles were far from over. He ran into difficulties when his investigation led to indictments against several very prominent and wealthy cattlemen. Efforts were made by the Senators from Nebraska to have Mosby removed from the investigation by claiming that he had charged them with misconduct and it is probable - but not provable - that then Senator Alger might well have helped in that effort given his feelings about the old Confederate. So Mosby was removed, but in the end, the cattlemen were convicted and one died in prison while at least one Senator who had charged Mosby with misconduct was himself removed from office for misconduct.
On September 27, 1902, Alger was appointed by Michigan Governor Aaron T. Bliss
Aaron T. Bliss
Aaron Thomas Bliss was a U.S. Representative from and the 25th Governor of the US state of Michigan, and was from Saginaw-Early life in New York:...
to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of James McMillan
James McMillan (Senator)
James McMillan was a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan.-Biography:McMillan was born in Hamilton, Ontario to William and Grace McMillan, both Scottish natives...
. He was subsequently elected by the Michigan State Legislature to the Senate in January 1903. He served until his death in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1907. During a memorial address in remembrance of Senator Alger, Senator John Spooner
John Coit Spooner
John Coit Spooner was a Republican politician and lawyer from Wisconsin. He served in the United States Senate from 1885 to 1891 and from 1897 to 1907.-Biography:...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
said of the late senator: "No man without noble purpose, well-justified ambitions, strong fiber, and splendid qualities in abundance could have carved out and left behind him such a career." He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Pacific Railroads
United States Senate Committee on Pacific Railroads
The Senate Committee on Pacific Railroads is a defunct committee of the United States Senate. It was first established as a select committee in 1889 and became a standing committee on March 15, 1893...
during the 59th Congress. He is interred in Elmwood Cemetery
Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit, Michigan)
Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit is one of Michigan's most important historic cemeteries. Located at 1200 Elmwood Street in Detroit's Eastside Historic Cemetery District, Elmwood is the oldest continuously operating, non-denominational cemetery in Michigan...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
Legacy
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
is named for him. A monument by Detroit sculptor Carlo Romanelli
Carlo Romanelli
Carlo Alfred Romanelli was an Italian sculptor, born in Florence, Italy August 24, 1872 and died August 9, 1947. He came to the United States in 1902, settling in Los Angeles, California. He moved to Detroit, Michigan in the early 1920s...
, consisting of a bronze bust of Alger mounted on a stone pedestal, is located on the grounds of the William G. Mather Building in Munising, Michigan
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
. It was erected in June, 1909, with funds provided by the heirs of Alger and by the Board of Education of the Munising Township Schools. A memorial fountain by sculptor Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
and architect Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
was dedicated in Detroit in 1921.
In 1898, a movie was made, entitled General Wheeler and Secretary of War Alger at Camp Wikoff, that documents an official visit as Secretary of War. Camp Wikoff was in New Jersey, and this was an early event that permitted the McKinley administration to garner support from the New York newspapers.
In May 1898, his War Department established Camp Russell A. Alger on a farm of 1400 acres (5.7 km²) called "Woodburn Manor" near the small communities of Falls Church
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
and Dunn Loring, Virginia
Dunn Loring, Virginia
Dunn Loring is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,803 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. In its brief existence, 23,000 men trained there for service in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. Faced with a typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
, it was abandoned the month that the War ended (in August 1898), and sold the following month. It is commemorated by an official Virginia historical marker.
Alger, Michigan is also named after him. It is a small community founded in the late-19th century located in the area of the lower peninsula where he oversaw lumbering and railroad operations.
The Grosse Pointe War Memorial
Grosse Pointe War Memorial
The Grosse Pointe War Memorial, also known as the Russell A. Alger, Jr. House and as the Moorings was dedicated to the memory of veterans and soldiers of World War II. It is located at 32 Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI. It was built in 1910 and served as the family home of Russell A....
is housed in one of the Alger family's former homes.
The Southeast side Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
neighborhood Alger Heights is named after him.
In 1942, a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
named the SS Russell A. Alger
SS Russell A. Alger
SS Russell A. Alger was a Liberty ship that was supposed to be built in the United States during World War II. She was intended to be named after Russell A. Alger, a Michigan Senator, Governor and U.S. Secretary of War....
was planned. She was cancelled before construction.
External links
- Russell Alexander Alger in Library of Congress's The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War
- Biography of Alger through 1891 from "Chapter LIII: Grand Rapids and Kent County in the War for the Union," Baxter, Albert, History of the City of Grand Rapids, New York and Grand Rapids: Munsell & Company, Publishers, 1891.
- Image of Russell Alger from "1888 Presidential Possibilities" card set t207.com
- Grosse Pointe War MemorialGrosse Pointe War MemorialThe Grosse Pointe War Memorial, also known as the Russell A. Alger, Jr. House and as the Moorings was dedicated to the memory of veterans and soldiers of World War II. It is located at 32 Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI. It was built in 1910 and served as the family home of Russell A....
- Russell Alger, Jr. Mansion - Memorial Library
- National Governors' Association, Biography of Russell A. Alger.
- Public Arts and Sculpture, Russell A. Alger Fountain.
- Russell A Alger Biography at Elmwood Cemetery
