need urgent help quick!

[texasfunk]

with my luck, thismorning in 20 degree weather my alternator gave out at the halfway mark on my daily trek to school, and of course with a hi-po ignition system the battery didnt get me too much farther on its own, i managed to get a trailer frm my instructor and got it to class, my ? is, i have an alternator from a 96 (which i know is a different design but will fit) that i want to take and put it on to get my truck home,problem is, the single wire plug on the truck wont fit into the 96 alternator, and i cant for the life of me find the plug to the 96 alternator(used to be on my truck) my question is, is it absoloutley necessary? can i get the truck home with the alternator hooked up but not plugged in? thank you for any help!