Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Russell A. Alger Papers |
Russell A. Alger was born in the Western Reserve of Ohio, and moved to Michigan in 1859 where he amassed a fortune in lumber. During the Civil War he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry and Colonel of the Fifth in 1863. He served under Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley until his resignation in September, 1864. Entering into public political life, Alger served as governor of Michigan, 1884-1886, and rose to national prominence as Secretary of War in the McKinley cabinet, 1897-1899. Always a controversial politician, Alger became the target of public criticism over the conduct of the Spanish-American War. He resigned to run for the Senate on an antitrust platform, winning election in 1899, but dying before the expiration of his term.
Public correspondence and papers of Russell A. Alger, Civil War officer, governor of Michigan, Secretary of War, and United States Senator.
The collection contains 51 items relating to Alger's military service, approximately 2, 580 letters of his public correspondence, and approximately 17,900 items related to his office as secretary of war.
Gift of the Alger family, 1934; purchase 1990
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