The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-11-16

min Harris and others whose names
arc unknown and who were then en-
gagged in an armed rebellion egainst
the United States, maliciously, trait
orously aud in violation of the laws
Ior war. to impairnndinjurc the health
aud destroy the lives, by subjccting
To torture and great suffering, by con
Gning in unhealthy and unwholcscmc
quarters, BY exposing to the inclem
icncy of winter and to the dcws and
burning sun of summer, by compel
ling the use of impure water, aud by
furnishing insufficient and unwholc-
some food, Of a large number ofFcd-
cral prisoners Of war, to-wit: Num-
bcr, about forty five thousand, held
as prisoners Of war Mt Andcrsonvillc,
within the lines Of the so-callcd con
Tolerate States. on or lie ore the 9th
of March 1864, and at divers times
between that day aud the 10th day of
April, 1865, to the, ono that the ar
mics of the United States might be
weakened aud impaired, and that the
insurgents might be aided and com
fortcd, etc, etc. The order also states
that the prisoner was found guilty OF
the scond charge, namely; Murder
in violation of the laws and customs
Of war, and guilty of all the spccii-
cations, except the lth, 10th and 18th
which set forth that he killed pris-
oncr by shooting him with revolver,
that he ordered sentinel to fire up.
on another with revolver, and that
he shot another with revolver, 10
that he died. The order concluhcs
~ follows: .........
The Court do, therefore, sentence
him, lIcn.y VIM, to be hanged, by
the neck, until he be dead, at such
time and place Os the President may
direct. Two. thirds of the mt mbcrs of
the Court concurring therein. And
the Court also find the prisoner, Hen
ry Wirz, guilty of having caused the
death, in the manner alleged in spcci-
icution II, charge 2, by means of
dogs, Of Thirty prisoners of war in his
custody, aud soldiers of the United
States, one occurring on or about the
18th day of May, 1864, another oc-
Touring on or about the 1lih day of
jJuly, 1864. and another on or about
the LIST day of September, 1864, but
which finding. as here expressed, has
not and did not enter into the sen
tencc of the Court ns before given.
I'd. The proceedings, findings and
sentence of the foregoing ease having
been submitted to the President oi
The United States, the following are
his orders:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
November =, 1863,
The proceedings, findings and sen
tcncc of the Court in the within case
are approved, aud it is ordered that
the sentence he carried into cxccu.
ton by the officer commanding the
Department of Washington, on Fri.
day, the 10th day of November, 1868
between the hours ofd o'clock in tho
morning aud II o'clock noon.
Signed, ANDREW JOHNSON,
President OF the United States.
I'd. Mai. Gen. &. &. Anger, com.
manding Department Of Washington
is commanded to cause the foregoing
sentence in the case of Henry Wirz
to be duly executed in accordance
with the Presidents order
lth. The Military Commission, o
which Maj. Gen. Lewis Wallace, U
$. Vols, il President, is hereby dis
solved by command of the Prcsidcn
of the United States.
Signed, Il. y. TOWNSEND,
A. A. G.
When the reading of the order wa'
n completed, Wirz couvcrsed with those
on the platform with seeming conf
dcncc aud sclf-posscssion, and it wa'
remarked that he had smiling coun.
tcnancc. TO his spiritual advisers he
said
81 am innocent. | have to die
but | can die like n man. | hav,
hope in the future, have nothing
moro to say"
His legs aud hands were then tied
the moose placed around his neck and
tho black cap placed over his face
He stood erect Without ialtoring, cyi
IDENTIFY having ncrvcd himself for th,
solemn event. Those on the plat
e iorm ro,ivod to the railing, leaving
the doomed man IN the ccntro of the
structure. After few momonts. o'
u profound quiet, the drop at n precon
l. ccrtcd sigual fell. The sound thu
\ occasioned having reached the ears q
:, the promiscuous crowd outside th
Old Capital grounds, but who wcr
> not privileged to view the execution
= was responded TO by repeated shout
G OF appreciation. The convict diroct
N ly after falling was considerably cor
yulsod in his legs, but his agony WI
soon over. llc hung about 10 IN
mites and then was cut down. III
body was placed ON strctchcr an
conveyed to the prison, whore IL WI
placed in coffin and transferred
o Father Boyle, for in'crmcnt. Ills noe
@ was broken by the fall, All the pre-
- cccdings occupied about three-qua'
=. tcrs of an hour.
The following conversation betwcc
T. WIRz aud his counsel, took place
: few hours before his execution
). Mr.. Schadc again called on Il
|, President this morning to make u I'm
d effort to save Capt, WirE from III
g death penalty, but the Prcsidcn
however, could see no reason 1,
k changing the sentence, and stat,
N that Mr., Schade was the only one wi
y made mn earnest appeal in behalf
: the prisoner, When between Al
Nj