Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1865-08-27
Trial OF HenrY Wiz.

The JHTiSulCIt0H " t"C SVH'' &c
Monday last The military commlssiot
detailed for TIE Trial of Henry WIrz, late
! IL comnsndanI OF The AndersonVIlls prs
nm mel in the room Of the Court o
/ Claims. at Washington, and was called Il
order bv The president, NJ jor Genera
Lew ~ allace; all the msmbeS being pres
emf. with the counsel for The accu'ed--
/ Messr<. Hinges. Denver, Peek am
Schade. The Star says that al twenty
five minutes pas; the prisoner was
brough, in, guarded b. > squsd OF Veteran
Reserves. ard was sealed an a seilee 10
the righl Of the commission. two OF the
soldiers with fixed bayonets remaining
with him.
Col. Chapman. the Judge Advocate,
stated that the commission vas formed
for the trial of :he accused, and asked the
prisoner if he had any objections 10 any
member of the commission.
Mr.. Huhges, for the prisoner. replied
tha, he had not any personal obJecnon'
but al proper time he would object TO the
jurisdiction Of the commission and the
manner of ils constitution, and would also
make some special obi aclions. II he, the
prisoner, was TO be tried by any military
commission. he had no objection 10 any
member OF The commission.
The members OF the court were then
sworn By Judge Advocate n. ?. CHIP
man, who was in turn sworn by The Pes.
rdenl Of the court, Gen. Wallace. The
official reporters, Messrs. Hayes and
Brown, were also sworn As reporters.
The charges and specifications were
then read. The chsgeS are as follows
Charge l-MalIciously, wlIiuIly, and
Irsilorously, and IN aid OF the then exIS-
ting armed rebellion against the UnIled
States Of America, on or before the first
day Of March, A. d. 1864, aud on divers
other days between that day and the tenth
day of April, 1868, combining, conleder'
aling and conspirIng together with Robi.
E. Lee, James A. Seldom, John h. WIN
der, Lucus d. Norlhrop, Rich'd Is. VIM
der, Jos. White, w. S. Winder, K. K.
Stevenson, Moore, and others I'M
known, to injure the health and destroy
the lives OF soldiers in the military ser
vice OF the United States, then held and be-
ing prisoners Of war within the lines OF
The so called Confederate States and IN The
military prisons thereof, to the end that
the armies nf the United Sales mIghl br
weakened and impaired; in violation OF
The laws and customs OF war.
Charge 2.-Murder. in violation o! the
laws and customs Of war.
The specifications are sci forth very
minulely and occupy considerable space
Judge Hughes said the prisoner would
plead hereafter, and then objected TO his
lrial bsIore tie court on ac:ou"i =! He
manner in Which il vas called. This
plea, however, was overu led, and the
prisoner ,llowed until Tuesday noon 10
plead gully or not guilty.
Judge Hughe. said lie would now hle
general plea as to the jurisdiction Of The
court, stating that this court had no Jurls'
diclion and was not authorized 10 Try Inc
case, which be proposed 10 argue mere
after.
The next plea was that the prisoner
Wnz was captured under The promise
that ne should receive safe conduct to hi'
nome in case he would give certain InIor'
IN alton which he did. That lie sHrren'
dered himself to Capt. Noyes, under
such a promise; that he accompanied
said Capt, NoyeS to Gen. Wilson's head
quarter, and gave certain information
81. That he was a nsiursliZed CITIZEN Of
.he UnileJ States, and had never been IN
The land or naval service Of the United
States, and now that peace was declared
the Commission had no power TO Try hun
Alb. lie protests against lrlsI, end says
he ought TO be dischsTl ed, claiming that
he was included 10 The terms OF surrender
agreed upon between Gems. Sherman Snd
Johnston. 9Th. He moved TO qussh tbs
charges and specifications because they
were SO indefinite and vague that This de-
PENDANT ought not to be required 10 an
swer any Of the charges; and that he was
no. guilty Of offence punishable under the
| laws Of war.
After short session with closed doors
the court adjourned until to-day.
The accused Is very thin man, Aboul
FIVE feet six inches hight forIy.6"e years
Of age, dark skin, whlokero, and NOUS
tsche, and weighs about one huudTed aud
lhiry.fve pounds He was aItIred 10 a
black coat and vest. dark brown psnn,
white sSirl and wore elk hot. During
The reading Of the charges and sPecilica
llons he 50! with his legs crossed, h'
hand TO his face, and would frequently
talk with his COUNSEL