I see what you mean by the solenoid's being the group of wires behind the battery. Like I said before, since I am a novice I will try to post some photos tomorrow.

 

Here's a 95 solenoid. The wires on the right are the red power connection to/from the battery plus the white wires which should be the feed from the alternator and the main power to the power distribution box.
The one on the far left sends power down to the solenoid mounted on top of the starter, which activates it - just for interest's sake. The tiny push-on one in the top middle gets power from the key when you turn it to start, which makes the solenoid in the picture close and feed power down the little wire (on the far left) to activate the starter solenoid - again, just for interest.
Back to the first one on the right- connecting the alternator output wire here accomplishes the same thing as connecting it straight to the pos+ post of the battery - they just attached all those wires together there to avoid having all the wires at the battery post; cleaner this way. They're using that right hand bolt as a junction block to connect up some of the pos+ wires is all.

 

Thank you, 95XLT, you are a great teacher. I'll try to post a photo of my set-up when I'm home from work (sometime around 5:00 Eastern).

 

As promised...it appears as thoughmy wiring is how you described it should be.

 

With the truck off:
+ and - battery posts read 13.01 volts, + battery post to crimped end (through which the bolt screws into the alternator) 12-82 volts.
With truck idling: + and - posts sre reading 12.16 volts, + to crimped end are reading 11.92 volts.

 

Black lead to neg- battery post, red lead to alternator output bolt.
What's the green wire hooked to the left (front post of the solenoid). I'm not liking the way that looks to be wired - but it's not a very good picture of the solenoid. Take one the way the one I posted is.
Now take a look at the pic I posted; notice that the left post has nothing else attached to it except the small red wire that goes down to the starter.
Now notice that everything else is hooked up to the right (rear) post that has the big red wire on it that goes to the battery. Does yours look like that ?

 

1995XLT, am not sure how much of this you can make out, but the only change I made to this wiring is the white wire. That is a 10 guage wire I replaced going to the starting motor and is going to the left side of the 'solenoid fork'. The heavy diameter wire I spoke of earlier goes from the alternator screw mount to the negative battery post.
If you need a better photo please let me know.

 

These are the connections to the alternator: top harness has (ltop to bottom) green (possibly blue), pink, and yellow. Bottom harness (top to bottom) has yellow with white stripe (guessing), and the other two are thicker blue or green with pink or red stripe. Might one of these be the 'tickle charge'? All of these wires go into a plastic conduit which narrows down to a single 10 guage black wire going on the left post of the (solenoid fork) and one blue or grey wire with a red stripe which goes into another conduit leading towards the passenger side headlight (this wire has an inline harness behind the battery, butvno fuse).

 

These are the connections to the alternator: top harness has (ltop to bottom) green (possibly blue), pink, and yellow. Bottom harness (top to bottom) has yellow with white stripe (guessing), and the other two are thicker blue or green with pink or red stripe. Might one of these be the 'tickle charge'? All of these wires go into a plastic conduit which narrows down to a single 10 guage black wire going on the left post of the (solenoid fork) and one blue or grey wire with a red stripe which goes into another conduit leading towards the passenger side headlight (this wire has an inline harness behind the battery, butt no fuse).

 

So... on the solenoid what's the green wire on the left post for ? I have only ever seen one wire hooked up to that post - the one that goes to the starter. That post only has power when the key is turned to start, otherwise it's a dead end. I can't think of what else it could possibly be for.
Notice on my pic that there are 3 wires on the right post plus the big red one - I only see 2 on yours. I'm pretty sure the third wire would be from the alternator. I don't want to steer you wrong so you will have to do your own homework on this one ; but I would have thought that the power wire from the alternator would go to the positive side of the battery, not the negative. Has it ever worked properly the way you have it wired ?

 

yes, it worked up until a coupleof months ago. As for the thick diameter wire from the alternator, it has always been attatched to the negative side. 'The only other wires attatched to the alternator arecthe two harness plugs in my photograph. My wife claims I am colorbling (she might have something) and I don't recall seeing a green wire. That might be the one I labled as a 10 guage black wire which comes out of the conduit that houses the wires from the plugs going to the alternator.
i won't be back home until late, so I'll investigate the green wire issue tomorrow.
i really do appreciate all of your help.

 

This is what I'm referring to - most of your posts you said the wire from the alt. went to the pos+ battery post and in this one you say it goes to the negative one (I think that's what you're saying). That's worth double checking.
Anyway, it's hard to tell but it definitely looks like there are 2 wires attached to the left post of the solenoid. There should only be one - the one that activates the starter when you turn the key to start.
I don't know what the other wire is for, but it doesn't belong there, I don't think.
If that turns out to be a live alternator feed wire, that would explain burning out a brand new starter

 

The white wire is the one I replaced which goes to the starting motor. The green appears to be a single connection made from the three wires which end at the bottom alternator wire harness. This was done before I purchased the truck used.

 

Ok, well I don't see the point of having it connected to that post. There is no scenario that I can imagine where it makes sense to hook up the alternator wiring to the starter activation wire. It just doesn't belong there.
Are you sure you didnt take it off the other post and accidentally put it back on the wrong post.
Or maybe somebody else did, but either way try taking it off (don't let it touch metal, maybe just tape it off) and see what happens.
Also check that wire with your meter (black lead to bat-, red to wire) and see if it's charging.
If not, the fusible link may be gone. Which is another thing - that heavy wire you (or somebody) ran from the alternator to the battery should have a fuse in it. If your alternator runs away with no fuse or fusible link it could cook your battery and even take out the wiring system in the truck.

 

94 diagram but the colours of the 3 wires going into 1 match. and it shows them going to the battery + side of the starter relay (fender mount solenoid)
Closest I could find was 94