Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-21

The Commission met this morning AT ~ CLOCK,
all the members present, the Judge Advocates,
and the counsel for the accused
The prisoner, as on yesterday, was allowed to
remain in his room until after the reading Of the
proceedings of yesterday, which was concluded
ten minutes before twelve.
The crowd In attendance this morning was as
large as usual many being unable to obtain seats.
number Of ladies were present.
The prisoner was brought In ten minutes be :
fore twelve and Immediately laid down on the
sofa. We are informed that he is rapidly recov =
ering, and is much better this morning.
The first witness called was
AMBROSE SPENCER
He testified that he resided near Amoricus, Ca.
about nine miles from Andersonyille; hCd e.
sided there for the past Ave years; frequeD y
visited Andersonville; knew the prisoner; hs .
often seen him at Andersonville. Witness had
seen In the stOckade; II was very much crowded.
Had talked with escaped prisoners. Their con :
dtion was as wretehed and horrible as could be
conceived. Had seen the stockade, after q rain,
where the mud was at least twelve inches deep /;
prisoners walking through the mud. The con
dtion Of the stockade can be expressed by say
ing that the odor from the stockade could be de-
tected at least two miles. Witness was familiar
with the surrounding country. That section Of
Georgia was we'll supplied with mills. The dis
tance between Andersonville and Albany was
fifty miles. There were Ave saw mills. One was
about Ave miles from Andersonville.
There was grist mill about twelve miles from
Albany, aud two more at Amercus. The water
mills are running nearly the whole year. 1t Is a
heavily -timbered country, especially in the
region adj dining Andersonville. As for fertility
he thought Southwestern Georgia, as 1t was
termed, the garden-spot Of the country The
average Of corn throughout the county was, any
how, eight bushels to the acre some land would
produce thirty or thirty five bushels Of corn to
ha ri tharp w in
common supply Of vegetables. Every day the
trains were loaded with persons carrying vego.
tables to AndersOnyille. Some officer at Ander-
sonville had agents at Americas to purchase
vegetables.
Witness was at Andersonville when Governor
Brown had called out the militia. The tents
were hoOred with lumber and much shelter had
been put up by the Confederate soldiers. The
range Of the thermometer during the summer of
1864 was very high. Witness thought 1t had been
as high as 10 In the shade. On one occasion
witness put the thermometer in the sun in the
month OF June, 1854 II ranged l27 and l3O.
The winter Of 1884 and 1865 was the coldest win.
ter they had in Georgia for % years. Witness
had seen the thermometer about 20 degrees. Wit
ness was aroused one night; It was very cold.
lie opened the window and found an escaped
prisoner from Andersonville. Witness went
down and brought him in. He was nearly frozen
and poorly clad. Witness looked at the ther-
mometerj 1t was is degrees above zero.
At one time general effort was made by the
ladies Of the county to relieve the priGOners. A
large amount Of provisions were collected and
sent up to Andersonyille. Witness .uought the
effort failed. Gen. Winder refused to allow the
provisions to be carried in. Witness had a con-
yersation with Gen. winder: He said he be.
lieved the whole county was becoming Yankee
and the effort to relieve the prisoners was slur
on the Confederate government, and he be ID
II he would not put a stop to 1t. Witness told
him he did not think 1t showed Yankee or Union
feeling to have feelings 0f humanity. He said
II was best for the d-d Yankees to die there.
-. 49,
gentleman could listen TO II in the presence Of
his wife without resenting 1t. 1t was such Lam
guage as was not fit to be repeated here in the
presence Of ladies.
loyal to the rebel Government by putting them In
certain condition. Witness heard WirZ remark
that II he had his way house should be built
there and the ladies put into It for certain ina
nous purpose which witness said he did not like
to repeat. Witness knew Turner, the keeper Of
the hounds. Turner told witness that he was
making money, more than he could by cultiyat-
ing his ground. Wirz was his paymaster, Wit
ness knew W. S.Winder in December, 1868. Wit
ness went to Andersonville to see how the prison
was to be laid out. He asked Winder II he was
going to have barracks or shelter Of any kind
erected,
MIR. Baker objected to anything which trans
pired in 1868. The charge being from the 10th of
April, 1864.
Col Chapman said he would call the counsel's
attention to the fact In charge in which the con-
before a certain date.
The Court oyerruled the objection.
Witness resumed He asked Winder II he was
going to erect barracks or shelter. He replied
he was not the d--d Yankees he was going to
put in there had no need of shelter. Witness
then asked him why he cut down the trees.
Winder replied, 81 am going to build pen here
that will kill more id Yankees than they do
at the front" R. Il. Winder came to the prison
about ten days after that. Witness had frequent
conversations with Gen. Winder. The opinion
which witness formed Of him was anything but
creditabe to his feelings Of humanity or his gem
tlemanly bearing. Witness considered him a
brutal man. Looked upon him as a man utterly
void Of all kind Of feelings Of humanity and
charity. The condition Of the pen at Anderson
willie was discussed in the newspapers, aud was
q subject Of conversation throughout Georgia.
Cross examined: Witness had lived in the
South twenty five years was a lawyer by pro-
fessiOn had been planter for the past five
years. Witness made poor crop last year; he
Judged from what he had seen Of other crops
Witness was appointed by General Cooper MS an
agent to collect claims against the Confederate
government. His jurisdiction comprised twelve
OF thirteen counties. Witness visited each one
of these counties at least twice. and some Of them
oftener. Witness had seen the upper and lower
stories Of the mill packed with wheat and corn
II belonged to planters and farmers in the neigh
borhoOd. large mill was about bye miles from
Andersonville; 1t was water mill. witness :
wife was engaged, with other ladies, to admin
lister to the wants of the prisoners, by furnishing
lHtHl WIN PROVISIONS, &C Nlutsb uhu CON
tributed for that purpose.
DIR. d. J. HEAD
testified that he was a physician. Was on duty
at Andersonville from July, 1864, to August, of
the same year. A call was made for the militia.
Witness did not want to go In the militia, and he
entered into contract with DR.. White rs sur
geOn at Andersonville. An officer got an order
from General Winder for the arrest Of witness,
with other physicians. The case was taken be-
fore Governor Brown. 1t was stated to him that
physicians were wanted at Andersonyille. He
then ordered witness, with other physicians to
report for duty at Andersonyille, and was as
signed to a ward by DR.. White
The men were suffering for want Of proper
diet and care Witness wrote out his prescrlp-
tiOns; on returning found that the medicine had
not been furnished was told that he could not
prescribe that way; but must go according TO
the established rule. Frequently there was
nothing to give the prisoners but little red oak
Of stmulants Witness would make requisi-
tiOns, but could get nothing. After witness left
the prison, he told his wife about the suffering
Of the prisoners. She, with other ladies, got up
some provisions and sent them to Andorsonville.
Witness wrote a line to the physician In charge
Of the division to see the things were properly
distributed.
A Methodist minister named Davies went up to
see General Winder and told him what the ladies
Of ALnericus were about to do. Mr. Davies said
Wnder said he would allow the ladies to send
up for provisions. The first and second lots were
distributed. When the third lot was sent up sew
eral ladies and witness went up to the prison with
the goods. Lieutenant Reed ripped out very
prOfane word and asked where those provisions |
were going. The reply was made that they were |
going to the Yankee hospital. Reed ripped ont |
an oath and said they should not go. Several |
to be hung another said he ought to be shot. |
Witness went to see Gen, Wilder lie used |