Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-09-01
A VERMONT SOLDIERS RECOLLEC-
TON OF CAPT. WERTZ

, NbhmONl oOLDlfh y hBCOLL EI-
TON OF CAPT. WERTZ.
We find letter in the st. Albans Messen-
ger written by Vermont soldier who was
captured at Shiloh, giving an account Of pris-
on experience under Capt. Wirtz, whose tri-
al commenced at Washington yesterday for
starving the Unionsprisorers at Andersonville.
On the 7th day Of April, 1862, the writer
was one Of some two thousand Union soldiers
who found themselves prisoners of war in reb-
el hands, part Of the results Of the previous
days fighting at Shiloh. Soon after we were
lodged 10 military prison at Tuscaloosa, Ala,
under the command Of Capt II. Weriz, G. S.
A., who has since gained some notoriety for
his extreme cruelty towards prisoners Of war
under his charge, and now lies in prison a.
waiting trial for his crimes. On contempla-
ting the sufferings and tortures Of our eoldiers
while incarcerated IN Southern death pens the
heart grows faint, and the mind turns away
IN sorrow. No pen can picture in it's true
colors the misery Of rebel prison life. How
hardly can any one believe such bar rb,rities,
such slow, yet ceaseless, torture, could ever
be pracsiced, or even tolerated by a people
processing civilization and christianity Truth
and facts cannot be denied, nor their recol-
lection of suHsrings endured erased from the
minds Of its victims. Such recolections i'm
pei the writer to give his impression Of pris-
on life under Captain Wertz. Capt. Wertz
claims to be Ffenohman, is apparently forty
hve years old, below the medium height,
rather stout end compact built, round shoul-
ders, thick, short neck, black, bristly hair,
slightly sprinkled with grey, low forehead,
small, black, sinister eyes, looking out from
under heavy, shaggy eyebrows dark COM
plection--just such man as instinct would
select to do a mean act--such is the picture
fixed in the writer's mind OF Capt Werlz;
only add cowardice and it is complete. His
nature seemed well calculated to ct him for
tool Of jeff. Davis, and to execute his hell
ish purpose of incapacitating all Union sol
dlers who fell into his hands as prisoners OF
war from any further service in the field after
release. Captain Weriz was not content to
starve and expose his victims to the inclem-
encies of the climate, but it pleased him to
add insulting and taunting language. Hence
it gave hIm pleasure to kick the dead body
Of a prisoner, and grinning, [he could not
laugh say, "Ab, ha, another id Yank
gone to hell. Hell will soon be so full Of
them that his Satanic Majesty will have to
annex New England to his dominions, for
want of room"
To man writhing in agony of pain he
would say: "You d--d Yankee fool, reckon
you wish you had staid at home, and minded
your own business, and not come down here
to steal our niggers. | love to see you Yam
KEGS here, for we will learn you decent man
ners and genIlemanly department, provided
you don't all die In course Of discipline"
10 the surgeon he would often say 1.-The
more that die the less we shall have to feed
or tight; ; and | take good care to parole them
all, so to count them in exchange"
One act OF his, more 6endish than some,
recall. 1t occurred on the Levee at Tus-
caloosa, Ala, while the prisoners we're wait
ing to embark on trans ports en- route for
Montgomery, as we thought TO be psroled.-
There was boy some fifteen or sixteen years
ola belonging to the 18th regiment Iowa in
fanIry. His geniality made him the special
iavorlte Of ali the prisoners. He was a good
singer, and contributed not little TO dispel |
the irksomeness of prison life by songs. His
singing was great irritation to old Wertz /
and be tried various modes of punishment to
stop il. He would confne him in the dun
geon "a or 4S hours at a time without food
or water sull up through those dungeon
bars would come the words of the Star
spangled Banner. No punishment could make |
young Allen desist from singing. As we
stood on the Levee, all talking was forbid |
den. The thoughts OF home, however, we're
too strong for young Allen to resist to sing
that good old tune, " Home, Sweet Home"
blow from old Wertzs revolver felled him
to the ground. He was badly cut on the
head. We cared for him as best we could -
He lived to reach Nashville, Tenn, and there
died beneath that old flag he loved SO we'll,
victim of Capt Wertz's vindictlve hatred of
Ameri, an soldiers.
might go on and relate many more SINH
lar cases that came under my own observa-
lion, but for the present will leave him to his
own reflections. in the hands of a Just but
indignant people. yE. II.
IL, -