Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-09-12
The WlFz Trlal---HIghly Important
RVIdaaea

The WIrg Trial---Highly Important
RYldeace
WAsHGsGroS, Sept. s-CoL Chapman
read to the Commission letter ad
dressed 10 him By Capt. Wirz, asking
that although conscious Of his innocence,
he might have religious comfort, and
suggesting that Fathers Wheelan and
Hamilton be permitted to visit bim in
their pastoral capacity. The prisoner
not being 10 the care of the Court, the
letter will be referred 10 the War De-
partment for its actio3, there being no
doubs the request viii be granted.
Lieut.. Tracy testified to Wirz's cruelty,
and among his acts mentioned was the
shooting and killing of a man who had
slipped over the dead line while trying
TO obtain water. sf ral irra. 4sa
Col. Chipman said be now proposed
10 introduce documentary evidence 10
show that the Department at Richmond
had knowladge of the condition Of the
prison at AndersonFille in May last
Capt @. III. Silph, Of the rebel army,
and four years In the Adiutant Generals
Ofice at Richmond. identified the hand
writing Of Howell Cobb. in letter dated
May 5, 1864, TO Adjutaut General
Cooper. Cobb says he has examined
the prison. He presumes is character
is well understood at Richmond," and
therefore gives no description The
danger Of prisoners escaping vas net 80
great as be had supposed. With guard
Of 200 men, and four pieces of artil-
lery, and cavalry company, al appre-
bension Of escape would be quiesed
He bed arranged TO send two regiments
Of infantry forces He recommended
the erection of hospital building out.
side of the prison, and ssYs such is the
opinion Of every sensible man who has
examined the prison. The prison is al
ready too much crowded, and no addi-.
tioDal prisoners should be sent there
until il has bean enlarged.
| n TNoTE.-He had previously stated
there were then Il 600 there The ef
within the present area must be a ter
rife increase Of sickness during the
summer months. ~
p II understand, be says, "an order has
been given for enlarging tha prison. II
il was possible to make another prison
il would be much better, for / doub,
much whether the water will be sufficient
for the accommodation of the increased
number Of prisoners. The general
management Of the prison under Gel
PearsonB 10 good. The duties Of the in
side are admirably performed By Colone
WirE, whose place it would be difRcnlt
TO fll. still think the rank of the of
Ger of this post should be a Brigadiel
General, in view of the number Of troop,
that will be under his command.
lSigned1 Howell Coma
Accompanying this is q report from
3 DR.. EIdridge, bis chief surgeon, phicl
says the prisoners are too much crowded
He suggests various provements, ant
J pays q .compliment TO DR.. Whites med
ical ministrations. A report from Wirs
3 to Msior Turner, dated May 1864, wa
also filed, He would commence to en-
large the stoekade as soon as he coull
; get enough negroes, and asked promo
, | ton. A report from General John Z
Winder tn General Cooper, dated Jul
, 2lst, 1854, was also submitted, stain
! the number Of prisoners at 29, 200; tha
many are most desperate characterl
giving the number Of the guard, &c. II
says:
4 You speak Of placing the prisoner
: properly. do not exactly comprehen
what is intended by it / know Of bu
p one way to place them, and that is
; put them into the stockade, where the
q have between four and Eve square yard
to the man. This includes the stFeei
= aud two acres of ground about th
stream. ----z.---
. A letter was also pat ia evidenc
= from Acting. Adiutant and Inspecte
2 General Chandler, dated AndersonvilI
y July S, 1864, to Col Clinton, Assistai
- Adjutant and Inspector General ct Ricl
u1ond He gives an account of, his il
y spection Of the prison, saying that e.
= cepting the edges of the stream, the so
r isssandy and easily drained, but for thi
= = ty to fifty yards on each side Of a
= stream it is muddy marshY totally D
- Ct for occupation, and having been co
~ stantly used as q sink since the prisC
was FIRST established, it is now IN
shocking condition and cannot fail
breed pestilence An effort is made
Captain Wirz to fill up the marsh al
- construct sluiee there, the upper el
., to be used for bathing, DC. and the To-
ed er IS sink, but the difficulty Of pr
va curing lumber and tools very much r
tards the work and threatens soon
" stop il. No shelter whatever, nor n
w. terisls for constructing any, have be
OK provided by the prison authorities 3
"a the ground being entirely bare of tre
none is within reach Oh the prisons
nor has it been possible from the ovs
TO crowded state Of the inciosure, to
Nv range the camp with any system. Es
ed man has been permitted 10 protect biz
- self as best he can by stretching
no blanket, O. whatever be may have abo
N him, on such sticks as be can procu
1st Of other shelter Jhere has been NOS
,Iv There is no medical attendance with
10 the stockade. Msny-twenty yesterd
are earted out daily who died frC
!" unknown causes, and whom the me
be- cal officers have never seen. The de
he are hauled out daily BY the wagon 10
Of and bRried without coffns, their han
ar IN many instances, being 6rst mgtIlai
with an AZ II the removal Of any huE
'As rings they may have. Raw rations hl
a to be issued to large portion who
cal entirely nuproVided with the pro
=. utensils, and furnished with 40 Unite
y supply Of fuel that they are compel
'no TO dig with their hands in the FL
ad- marsh before mentioned for roots,