The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-10-05
Trial of Wirz.


keeper, resumed proceedings in the case
on the 10Th inst, after an unavoidable va
cation. owing to the illness of theaccused,
of an entire. week. After concurrence
between the Judge Advocate and Wirz's
counsel and secret deliberation OF the
court, in regard to the Government fur
nishing time and means TO summon addl-
tional witnesses for. the defence from the
Southern States, it was decided. that sub
penas for the desired persons should be
issued and sent to the military command
ants in whose departments they are sup
posed to reside The taking of evidence
was then continued, and a number Of wit
nesses, including both those who had
been in the national and rebel service,
were examined, adding to the testimony
heretofore elected regarding the cruelty
and inhumanity of Wirz, tho sufferings
and torturcs OF The prison pen, the hunt
ing and. tearing of fugitivcs by hounos,
the starvation, the punishmcnts of the
chain gang and the shooting of men at the
dead line Major Noycs, who arrested
Wirz at his home in Georgia, testified that
he was not authorized by General Wilson
ITO give the prisoner any promise that he
should not be prosecuted for his conduct
at the prison, and he did not think that
he gave any such promise. Captain
Moore, who supcrintended the fitting up
of the graveyard at Andersonville re-
Gently, and marking the graves of the ma
tional soldiers who died in the prison, tes-
tifed that the number Of burials was
twelve thousand nine hundred and twelve
and that the dead bodies were placed
closely together in trenches from one
hundred to two hundred yards long.
The most important testimony adduced
before the Wirz court martial yesterday,
says the New York Herald of the. 23rd,
was that of Drs. F. S. Hopkins and G. L.
Rice two of the rebel medical men who
were on duty at the Andcrsonville prison
hospital. DR.. Hopkins read report on
the condition of the prison and hospital,
which he had prepared and submitted to
General Winder, after receiving instruc-
tons to make complete inspection. He
found the causes of the great mortality
and the alarming prevalence of disease to
be the crowded state Of the pen, the. alb
scnec of proper or sufficient food and
medicine and all facilities for cleanliness,
want of wood, water and clothing and of
shelter from heat and cold, and the filthy
and poisonous condition of tie prison.
DR.. Hopkins suggested remedies for all
these evils, but no attention was ever
given to his report. An order of General
Windcrto DR.. Fl. was submitted, showing
that the Richmond authorities were cog
INFANT of the evils, and that Windcr had
authority to abate them. The Doctor
said it was the implcitconfdencc Windcr
had in Wirz which caused the horrible
state of things to exist DR.. Rice gave
evidence in regard to the terrible condi
ton of the prison. pen, and the dying of
men from starvation, cold, hunger and
other causes. The testimony Of other
witnesses to the same effect was also
taken.
The proceedings were closed yesterday
amidst somewhat exciting scene. Wirz,
who, owing to his weak condition, has for
some days. past rcclncd on couch while
in the court room, was requested to rise
for the purpose of being identified by a
witness who had been tcstifying to cases
of murder and brutality on his part.
When the witness said "That is the
man." Wirz glarcd at him fercely and
made efforts to contradict him, being 81
lcnccd with difficulty, and was SO over
come by his excitement and passion that
he sank exhausted and almost lifeless.
Measures were Immediately taken to re-
suscitate him, the court adjourned, and
the room was cleared ofspcctr ors. 1t is
thought that the accused cannot live to
see the conclusion of the trial.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23-The Wirz mill
tary commission rc-asscmbled this morn
ing Capt. Wilz Immediately after being
brought in the room laid down on a SOFA,
still too weak to sit up.
Geo, W, Gray, whose testimony towards
tho close of the proceedings yesterday
caused the prisoner SO much distress, was
cross-examined to-day in reply to ques-
ton by Mr. Shobc. He believed in pun