Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-10-13

but in doing 80, he made somewhat of a nuise which
alarmed the sentinel who crept up to crack, and
the man getting the board, and then he slyly
went up stairs and shot the man without any warning
Q.-How near the stockade was the man when lie
was getting the boards2 Al should think the
boards were within ten or fifteen feet Of it.
Q.--How near the dead nc2 Alive feet per-
haps do not think the dead line was over twenty
feet from the sockade.
Odd you ever see any acts Of crnelty commit.
ted by Capt. Wirz? Ayes, sir.
Q.-Siate the iactsf A.--lnst September the hun
drcd TO which belonged were ordered to get ready
and march out Of the stocknde, ne VIC marched ot
was night and there were fires on each side OF the
gate so that they could see to count the men off Ms
ihev pissed out. large fellow, named, think Will
liems rebel sergeant, had large stick or club in his
hand, Capt. Wirz outside OF the gate and this
Williams got the men In four ranks, so that they
could be counted while another man counted them at
the gate The men were so impatient to get outside
of the stockade that they crowded down MS near the
gate they could get and Il great many who did not
belong in the hundred hanked out At last Captain
Wirz became very much enragcd because the men
crowded down on him, and did not give him chance
to get them into four ranks that he could count
them. He told the sergeant to knock them down if
they did not keep back out Of the way.
Q.-Was the order obeyed2 Ale struck down
between the files, but hit nobody
Q.-Were your ratons stopped while you were
there 2-ifso state for what causes. A-Aong in
July, perhaps in August, there great deal Of
stealing going on In the camp and the prisoners
thought they would take the matter into their own
hands, ana punish the offenders, as the rebels never
took any notice Of the matter when it was reported
to them. One man who had stolen canteen, was
taken by the prisoners and hafoi his head shaved
and the letter "T' marked with ink upon his fore
head, and he was beaten about the camp, by the pris
oners with tin pans and thing another. The
Quarter Master came in and saw how the man was
treated and reported it to Capt. WirZ at least sup
posed it was reported | know the ntions were
stopped Immediately following.
Q.-For how long were they stopped2 A.-Until
the man who did this printing should be turned over
to Capt Wirz or should report hpself we were
told that the camp would get no raons until he came
out.
Q.-TIow long before he reported hmself2 A.
We'll we got rations; don't know whether this man
was ever taken outside or not.
Q.-Were your r8tions ever stopped at any other
time? A.-fes sir. One night piece Of the dead
line was stolen for wood and an order came into camp
that no rations would be served until that had
delivered himself up
Q.-What date v as that? Al have forgotten
the precise date, think it was in February 1865.
Q.-Statc the facts? "A man in the division
TO which belonged voluntarily offered to go and give
himself up and bear the punishment if each division
would allow him an extra ration, which they did. He
went to the gate and taken to Capt. Wrz by the
guard, What punishment was inflicted on him
never heard.
Ole was not the man who took the wood? A.
No. sir
Q He gave himself up in order that your rntions
might come in again? A.-Yes, sir.
Q.-How long it after the rations were stopped
before the man went out to give himself up? A.
The rations were stopped in the morning and it must
have been about noon when he went out.
Q.-Did you know who the real offender was? A.
No, sir he never was known.
Q.-Do you remember any other occasion when
your rotons were stopped? A.-No, Sir.
Cross examined By Counsel for Accused-Q.-Iow
long did you remain in the stockade? A.-rhe first
time until the last of September. ! was placed in
there three times.
Q.-When did you come back again? A.-The
middle Of December; about the 23d.
n. in A Mt
the first of April.
Q.-Durng the time when as you have stated you
had no wood served out to you, did you ever draw
cooked rations from the cook house? A.-Yes, sir.
Q-When, or how of en-? Al don't know K
actly the time. We received no wood from the time
we went in there until the last Of August We drew
cooked rations when first went in.
Q.-YOu stated that you living the creek
dead bodies of persons who had died from starvation
how do you know they died from starvation? Al
judged so from their emaciated appearance.
Q-lt was only your opinion? A.-Yes, sir.
Odd You put down every instance of shooting
that occurred whilst you there? Alt an
impossibiy for me to do that, because could be
shot in the south part of the stockade while knew
nothing about it, as was in the north part. The
stockade was crowded with men, there being at one
time between $4,000 and 81 900 men in there 1t
common occurrence each night to hear from one tc
five shots in the stockade. could not tell whether
men were killed every time, or who they were
Q.-Dd you the body of the man shot on the
25th of August? A.-Yes sir.
Q-Nere you present Wnen ne was shot! A
saw him shot.
GLOW often did you the guard shoot at him
Al did not see the man until the third shot was
fired | the shot fired from the sentry box, but
the tents that could not the man until
got past the tents. then the guard fire the thrC
shot and saw the man fall
ON reference to the case of shooting on the Isl
of January you stated that the guard went up syl,
and shot the man How do you know that? Wert
you present at that time? A-No, sir. cannot say
that saw the guard go up syly.
Q.---Were you present when the man was shot
A.No, sir
Q.-Ihen your information is merely from hearsay
Al saw the man after he was shot; | did not SET
hlm shot.
Q.-You don't know whether the circumstance
you have related took place not? You don't know
whether the sentinel came up slyy or not? A.-No
sir; wouldn't state that fact but know it wei
enough; it is my opinion.
Q.-You did not see it yourself2 A--No, sir.
By the C0urt.-Q-What was the quantity anC
quality Of the rations in 1862 A.-rhey were very
small.
Q.-Was there any difference as to rations between
that and the preceding time? Al think they wer
! not so good as before.
Q.-What number of prisoners were there at tina
time? Al think there were between 5000 and 10,
| 000