The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-09-07
The Werz Trial.

Washington, Saturday. Sept. z, 1850.
The Wirz Military Commission reas-
sembled to-day.
William o. S. Belcher testified that he
had served in the 10Th Illinois Cavalry,
and was prisoner at Andersonvills from
the 9th of March until September, 1864;
he thought that Capt Wirz assumed
command about the 1st of April; on one
occasion Wirz came into the stockade,
when cripple, walking on crutchees,
approached and asked to 60 outside the
request was refused, and the cripple said
he would rather be shot than stay there
the witness soon heard Wirz holloa to the
sentinel, "tell that man if he did not not
60 back, he would shoot him )" the man
did not return, when the sentinel fired
and shot him in the jaw the cripple was
known by the name of "Chickamauga !"
Wirz afterward threatened to shoot the
other men if they did not go away on
another occasion, while the prisoners were
being divided into squads of hundreds,
one of the men, owing to sickness, did
not fall in, and Wirz threatened to shoot
him, and did shoot him ). the ball went
through the mans hat; the prisoners
were kept in the sun all day, and were
not allowed to procure water if the squad
could not give a satisfactory account of
any one of their missing number, they
were deprived of their rations this was
the case for three days early IN July !;
there was not sufficient room in the pri-
son, scarcely enough for men to stand
upon; the limits were enlarged on the
north side there were $4,000 prisoners
there at one time he had heard Wirz say
he was killing more Yankees" than those
who were serving at the front witness
had seen rs or 80 men shot over the dead
line and others fired into who were not
over the dead line.
i Cross examined by the defense-Q-
Were there not desperadoes there-men
who would steal and commit other Of
fenses and was not the cripple to whom
you referred one of them? A. There
were troublesome characters there, but
don't know whether that man belonged
to them or not; 1 don't think that a Grip
pie on a crutch was a good man to steal
i Laughter.
: During further examination, the wit
ness spoke of a man at whom the sentinel
fired.
| Q. Did you see the ball hit him? A
A man must have very good eye to see
a ball when itstrIkesa man. Laughter. |
The witness gave various instances of
men being shot; one was shot while he
was in his tent, for merely stretching his
arm beyond the dead line another was
shot at for treading over the line he
heard Capt. Wirz order the sentinel to
shoot the cripple; some of those shot at
were killed, and others taken to the hos
pital.
James II. Davidson testified that he
was member of the Iowa Cavalry, and
taken as prisoners to Andersonville on
the Sth of March he described the filthy
condition of the prison and the great
mortality among the prisoners for week
he drove the dead wagon; sometimes 25
men were thrown into it at time, and
on the return he would bring wood and
rations in the same cart he had seen
men with blankets, shoes and shirts on
them, sent there by the Sanitary Com
mission for the use of our own men Capt
Wirz he knew made breakfast on some
of the crackers, cheese and beef sent there
for our prisoners he had seen four or
five hundred boxes at the depot with sup
plies they were marked U. S.; it was
common thing for men to be put in the
| oh ,n1 q III
gang with an iron collar round his neck :;
he had seen the hounds there; there were
two kinds, "catch dogs" and bullterriers;
one of the dogs badly tore the flesh from
mans leg another man was hanging
up his clothes which he had washed, to
dry; one of the pieces blew over the dead
Inc. He stepped beyond the line to get
the piece, when he was fired upon and
shot in the breast another man had
reached Beyond the dead line for some
crumbs of bread, when he was shot in the
head; Wirz shot man a short time af-
ter he assumed command of the prison i
the latter was sick, lying on the ground
and asked Wirz something, when Wirz
shot him; Wirz remarked that he was
killing more Yankees there than Lee was
at Richmond this was said in August
Wirz was at the time with the witness ia
the graveyard in the wagon with the dead
men the witness had seen men starved
to death food was so scarce at one time
that some of them picked up PARTICLES of
food that had already passed through the
system.
On his cross-examination by the de-
tense the witness said the graveyard CON-
prised 25 or 30 acres, and when he left
Andersonville, on the 11th of September
last, it was about thirds full
The Court then, at / o'clck, took re-
cess until 2 o'clock.