Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-23
Conclusion of the Charges and
Specifications Against Captain


And said Henry Wirtz, still pursuing his
wicked and cruel purpose, wholly disre-
garding the usages of civilized warfare, did,
at the time and place aforesaid, maliciously
and willfully subject the prisoners afore-
ment, upon slight, trivial and fictitious pre-
lenses, by fastening large balls of ironSto
their feet, and binding a large number of
the prisoners aforesaid closely together with
chains around their necks and feet, so that
they walked with the greatest difficulty;
and being so confined we're subjected tothe
burning rays of the sum, often without food
or drink, for hours and even days.. from
wlit1l said cruel treatment large numbers,
t0-wit, the number of one hundred, whose
names are unknown, sickened, tainted and
died; and he, the said Wrtz, did further
cruelty treat and injure said prisoners by
maliciously confinin@ them within an in
strument of torture called "stocks," thus
depriving them of the use of their limbs,
and forcing them to lie, sit or stand for
many hours, without power Of changing po-
sition, and being without food or drink, in
consequence of which many, to-wit, the
number of thirty, whose names are un-
known, sickened and died; and he, the said
Wirtz, still wickedly pursuing his evil pur-
poses, did establish, and cause to be des-
ignated, within the prison inclosure, con-
tanning said prisoners, dead line, being
a line around the inner face of the stock
ade or wall inclosing said prison,
and about twenty feet distant from, and
within said stockade; and having5so estab-
lished said dead line, which was in many
places an imaginary line, and in many other
places marked by insecure and shifting
strips of boards nailed upon the tops of small
and insecure stakes, he, the said Wirtz, in
structed the prison guards stationed around
said stockade, to fire upon and kill any pris-
oher aforesaid, who touched, fall upon, pass
over, or under, or across said dead line; pur-
suant to which said orders and instructions,
maliciously and needlessly given by said
Writ, the said prison guard did fire upon
and kill a large number of said prisoners,
to-wit, the number of about 300; and the
said Wirtz still pursuing his evil purpose,
did keep and use tcrocious and bloOd-thirsty
beasts, dangerous to human life, called
blood-hounds, to hunt down the prisoners
of war aforesaid, who made their escape
from his custody, and did then and there
willfully and maliciously suffer, incite and
encourage said beasts to seize, tear, mangle
and MAIN the bodies and limbs of said
prisoners of war, which the said beasts, incl
ted as aforesaid, then and there did, where
by large number of said prisoners who,
during the time Aforesaid, madetheir escape
and were recaptured, and were by said
beasts then and there cruelty and inhumanly
injured, insomuch that many of the said
prisoners, to-wit, the number of about fifty,
died; and said Wirtz, still pursuing his
wicked purpose, and still aiding in carrying
out said conspiracy did use and cause to be
used, for the pretended purpose of vaccina-
ton, impure and poisonous vaccinating
matter, which impure and poisonous mat
ter was then and there. by direction and
order OF said Wirtz, maliciously, cruelty,
aud wickedly deposited in the arms of
many of said prisoners, by reason of which
| large numbers of them, to-wit, the number
of one hundred, lost their arms, and many
| Of them, to-wit, about the number of two
hundred, were so injured that they soon
thereafter died; all of which said Henry
Wirtz well knew and maliciously intended,
and in aid of the then existing rebellion
against the United States, with view to
assist in weakening and impairing the arm
les of the United States, and in flRtherance
of said conspiracy, and with full knowl- :
edge, consent and connivance of his con-
spirators aforesaid, the said Wirtz then and
| there did.
CHARGE 2.-Murder in violation of the
laws and customs of war. r.i ...a
Specification LIN this, that the said
Henry WirtZ, an officer In the military SER
vice of the so-callej Confederate States OF
America, at Andersonville, in the State oI
Georgia, on or about the Sth day of July, A
ID. 1864, then and there, being a commaud-
ant of a prison there, located by authority
of the said so-called Confederate States fol
the confinement of prisoners of war, taken
and held as such, from the armies of the
United States, when acting as said COM
mandant, feloniously, willfully, and of his
malice aforethought, did make an assault
and he, said WirtZ, with a certain pistol
called revolver, then and there loaded and
charged with gunpOwder and bullets, which
said pistol said Henry Wirtz in his hand
then and there had and held to, against, and
upon soldier belonging to the army of the
United States, in his (the said Henry
Wirtz's) custody as prisoner of war,whose
name is unknown, then and there felonius.
ly, of his malice, did shoot and discharge
| inflicting upon the body of the soldier afore.
said mortal wound, with the pistol alore,
said, in consequence of which said wound
murderously inflicted by said Writ, the
said soldier afterward died.
Specification Pin this, that said Wirtz
an officer in the military service of the so
called Confederate States of America, al
Andersonville, in the State of Georgia, on
or about the Goth of September, 1864, ther
and there being commandant of prison
there located, by authority of said so-ealled
Confederate States of America, for the con.
tinement of prisoners of war, taken, ant
held as such, from the armies of the United
States OF America,i while acting as sale
commandant, feloniously, willfully, and O
his malice aforethought did jump upon
stamp, kick, bruise and otherwise injure
with the heels of his boots, soldier be
longing to the army of the United States
in his, the said Henry Wirtz's custody as ,
prisoner of war, whose name is unknown
of which said stamping, kicking ant
bruising, a maliciously inflicted by sale
Wirtz, he, the said soldier, soon thereafter
| died. aH su.1 .rY.a. ........ .t G..
4 Specification BIN this, that said Henry
\ Wirtz, an officer in the military service o
\ the so-called Confederate States of America
at Andersonville, in the State of Georgia
\ on or about the 18th day of June, A. ID
\ 1854 then and there being commandant O
I a prison there located by the authority o
\ the said so-ealled Confederate States, fol
I the confinement of prisoners of war, taken
, and held as such from the armies of the
| United States, while acting as said COM
\ mandant, teloni0usly and; of his malice
\ aforethought, did makean assault, and he
! the said WirtZ, with q certain pistol called
\ revolver, and then and there loaded and
/ chargedwith gunpowder and bullets, which
| said pistol the said Henry Wlrtz, in hi.
hand, then and there had and held to
! against, and upon soldier belonging to the
| army of the United States, in his, the said
! Henry Writes, custody as a prisoner o.
! war, whose name Is unknown, then and