The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-09-13
Wiu Trial

l.. d. Brown, captured at Plymouth and
taken 10 AudersOnvIile. testified thai ou or
about the 10Th OF May. l,64. having written
a letter 10 his parents and being about %
take il 10 the letter be saw 8 cripple
with one leg, who asked the sentinel 70 call
Capt. Wirz, the Captain came; the man
asked him TO let bin g out; the Captain
never answered but turned 10 the sentinel
aud said: "ShOOt the one legged Yankee
devil The shot was fired ana part OF
tie mans head was blown OF. and he died
i'm q few minutes; the DlOOd-hOunds were
taken round every morning. Capt. MirZ ri
ding with them on horseback In company
with the keeper; the witness had seen
man who had been lacerated by these dogs
when he went TO AndersOnyIlle his watch
and $l75 In money We're taken from him,
and for one day the prisoners were depri-
we'd OF food until they had arrested about
300 who from starvation had made raid
on the supply wagons
Jacob b. Brown. a brother ot the former
witness. and late prisoner at Anderson
vile. testified that ON the 9th OF July, leti.
De- saw Wiz in the sentry box. when
man came beyond the dead line 10 get Wa
ter. Wirz ordered that he bee shot down.
the sentinel fired and killed HIM. the bullet
taking effect In the head. the witness men
toned another case for a similar reason.
the ball which was fired took effect in the
mans breast; he dad not see the man die.
hut had no doubt the wound Was fatal: he
had heard mon threatened by Capt Wir1,
the latter said II the men did not fall into
ranks. they would be shot down: the men
accordingly hurried into the ranks. the
witness stated cases where tho prisoners
We're deprived OF ratiOns from the first 10
the ith July. 1864
In the Wlrz trial on Saturday Mr. q. =.
Bclcher OF the 10th Illinois Cavalry. testi-
fed that he had been a prisoner a. Ander-
sOnville from the 9Th OF March 10 Septem-
Der. 1851. On one occasion cripple hob
bled up 10 Wirz and asked permission To
20 outside the prison. The request was
refused, when the cripple said he would
rather be shot than stay there. The wit
ness soon heard Wirz say 10 the sentinel.
Tell that man if be aid not 20 back be
would shoot him." The man did not re-
turn, when the sentinel fired and shot him
in the Jaw There We're 10 900. prisoners
there at one time There was scarcely
room i'm the prison for the men To stand
upon He heard Wirz say he was killing
III tie front. Tie witnesses gave various
inSiAn6s' H. Davidson. IL member OF an
Iowa cavalry regiment. He had seen rebel
soldiers with blankets. shoes aud shirts Or
them. sent there bv the United States san
tary Commission. for the use Of our men.
Tie had seen 100 or 500 boxes of supplies
dt the AmdersOnvilie depot marked It =.
His testimony in reference % the dos kent
Tor the pursuit OF escaped prisoners. and
also 10 the dead line l. the same suhstanti-
ally Is has before been published Witness
had seen men starved To death. rood was
80 scarce that on one occasion. some OF
them picked up PARTICLES of food that had
already passed through the system. The
grave yard comprised some p or 30 acres.
aud when he left AndersOnville. on the nth
of September last it was twO-third- fun.
The men were buried in trenches. three
and IL half feet deep. On one occasion.
1870 We're put into a single trench.
The consolidated return oi Gen. Ninder
and Capt. Mirz. Tor the month oil August.
1868, was held as evidence for the prOsecu-
ton. l. reports the number of deaths, for
that month a. 9y3, out Of total Of 81 67s
Thomas Hall of the Maine corps. i pris
0ner at AndersOuYiile. and DR.. VIM Balsur.
b.
fled. The latter testified that OF D. 300 re
turned prisoners there We're not TWO hun
dred who did need medical treatment. and
described the horrible condition of The sui
ierers. The testimony of TWO other prison
ers corroborates many OF the facts hereto
fore published.
JOS Adler testified to instances OF suffer
inc OF the sick prisoners. 20 those hereto
fore narrated by other witnesses. He men
toned the case OF a man who hal been as
sailed by dogs. His throat had been torn
% pieces and blood was flowing from his
wounds. Viz. Doctors White and Ste
vensOn were hear at the time Wirz said
il served the ID scOundrel right The
man died on the spot. The witness also
narrated the case OF = sick man who asked
Wiz for food. Wirz struck him over the
head with a riding whip. The man went
into its and died TWO DAYS aterward OF
The - men who accompanied the witness
10 the prison, all but Y died. He heard
NirZ order a sentinel TO fire 81 q man who
crossed the dead line, and Instructed him
10 fire whether the man was over the dead
line OF not. The sentinel shot the man iu
the breast.
Vim. H. Jennings. q cOlOred soldier. ties
titled that his wound was not dressed after
he was taken 10 AndersOnville. He was
whipped by order OF Wirz for not going 20
work when unable 10 DO 80. Turner. the
man who had charge VI the dogs, gave him
30 lashes on the bare back. be was then
put in the stocks for q night and a day
VITA nothing 10 eat or drink; he could n0t
walk. Witness saw j man who had been
shockingly bitten In the head by d0gs, and
who died soon after.
ThOs ". Way. belonging 10 al Ohio reg
iment, testified that he was punished Tor -
minutes by being tied by LIS thumbs. bis
toes barely touching the ground. He AZ
tempted TO escape. and was captured Ea-
couuterin- Wiz the latter said, Vel. y0u's
back again. The witness replied / guess
SOC when Wirz continued, I'm going IL
take care OF you lis time, III put you IN
in the stocks four days longer. H head
and feet we're fastened in The stocks. bis
back on the ground. and bis face exposed
TO the sun. The punishment Vas inflicted
because he had attempted q escape He
knew personally about the hounds Is be
had been captured three OF four times by
them. A young fellow named Freddy. i
years old was caught By the foot and ar
forwards torn al 10 pieces iy the rogs.
The witness and another u the ec2pirg
party climbed q tree. Ia, they were Taught
ami brought back This was Ia the latter
part OF August in l,6& Turner. who was
with the hounds. said il was good enough
Tor Us He wished the dogs had torn 81 Of
Us. The witness said he was hGcSed f0r
being late 81 roll call Ii September. Is54
while forming q line, = sick man could not
ind his place and ran Up 70 the head OF the
line, where he was met hy Wiz. with the
exclamation. You Cd ID Yankee, #
YOU don't 81 into The ranks III shoot you
He struck the man with his revolver and
knocked hin some fee The man was too
weak - ge- up again This was the only
tine he saw Wirz use MS pistol Inc VII
ness was in ball aud chain with t01r others
for attempting 10 make his escape. and
kept 50 for 25 days
Alex. Kunell. who was q prisoner at An