Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-12
Trial sf Henry Whfz.
PROCEEDINGS OF TO-DAY.
: NTHunspAY, oorosrR IL, 1895.
fNITBD STATES MILITARY COMMISSION
" ORN LRw WALLACE President,

the keeper Of the Andersonville prison, met this
morning In the Court Of Claims room, at the Cap
itol all the members present, tho Judge Advo-
Gates, and the counsel for the accused.
wirz was brought into Court few minutes
past ten o clock, and Immediately laid down on
the sofa by his counsel. He appeared TO be much
better.
The record Of Saturday last having been read,
Mr.. schade read letter signed by WirI, dated
June 9, 1884, In which he complains OF the bad
quality Of the bread, the insumeiency OF rations,
and the scarcity Of buckets for issuing rations to
the prisoners, and asking q correction Of the
evils The letter is addressed to Capt. shipman,
tho assistant adjutant Of the post.
The next letter read was dated Camp Sumter,
Feb. 20, 1855, and addressed to J. W. McPhail,
signed by wirI. In this letter he states there
were a large number OF paroled prisoners at
work around the Andersonville prison, and most
Of them were barefooted, having been so long at
work that their shoes had worn out. He desired
to know II he could make q requisitlon on the
Quartermaster's Department TO supply the men
with shoes or draw the leather and let the pris-
oners make shoes, as there were plenty Of shoe
makers among the prisoners.
Col Chapman objecte to the admission Of the
declarations or statements Of the prisoners.
The objection was overruled.
Mr.. Baker said there was one fact which he
desired to call the attention Of the Court to-. II
was suggested when the prosecution closed, that
some evidence would be put In before the close
Of the defence. The testimony for the accused
was now nearly at an end, and he thought the
Court ought to compel the prosecution to put In
all their testimony before the defence went fur
ther, so they might know what the testimony
was and how TO meet II. He was not inclined
to ask for any further delay after the close Of the
testimony for the delence, in order to meet any
new testimony on the part Of the prosecution.
The prosecution had suficient time during the
past three weeks, and he thought 1t was right
they should now close the case The Court could
not compel the defence to go on until the prose
cution had closed.
Colonel Chapman said several witnesses had
been subp9naed and would be here In day or
two. He could not go on until they arrived
But their testimony would not affect the accused
so much as a general conspiracy and the heads Of
the agreement made between himself and the
counsel In regard to introduction Of such testi-
mony at any time before the close OF the defence.
Col. Chapman here introduced photograph OF
Andersonville prison, by X. Smeaden, who was
in the Andersonville pen. and made sketches Of
the prison.
MI. Baker then called for the defense
COL y. O. RUFFIN,
who having been sworn, testified that he resided
near Richmond, Va, had been lieutenant col !
Onel In the subsistence department Of the confed
crate government; his duties were all over the
confederate States. From the beginning OF the
war there was moro or less scarcity. Steps were
being taken all the time to obtain supplies, es-
pecially meat, which was very scarce. Coffee,
meat, and -four were very deficient.
At the close Of the war Lees army was living
on corn meal. Thirty thousand barrels Of flour
were accumulated In Richmond for Lees army
The whole Of that -four was consumed by Union
prisoners, and Lees army lived on corn bread q.
Many OF his men were sick with diarrhGa, seur-
Wy, and other diseases, rendering them unht for
Onions were imported from the Island Of Bermu :
da through the blockade. The hospitals at
Richmond had to rely, In great measure, on the
contributions Of private individuals. The causes
Of tuch privation were the deficiency Of railroad
transportation, the depreciation Of the cur
rency, and the Southern States had always de-
pended on importation Of meat for their supplies.
The currency Of the confederacy became so much
deprecated that the people would not sell their
produce.
In the spring Of 1882 the meat ration Of the
army (of three -fourths Of pound Of meat) was
reduced to one-third. In the winter, when the
army was along the line Of the Central railroad
the ration was reduced to one fourth Of pound
OF meat per day. The bread ration was also re-
duced. So far as witness knew, the prisoners
received the same rations as the Confederate sol
diers. At the Close Of the war the railroad sys-
tenn Of the South was completely broken down.
Cross examined.-The most serious interrup.
ton was in July, 1854, when Cox's raid cut the
Danville road. At that time Lees army had
nine days rations on hand. The interruption In
railroad transportation at this time lasted twenty
one days. Witness knew that many Of the SOL
diers OF the Confederate army became sick from
bad food, were sent to tho hospitals, and there
died.
BY the Court: The prisoners were sent to
Georgia in order to have them In productive
section OF the country. Witness thought during
the whole war the prisoners, sick and we'll. re-
ceiyed the same rations as their guards. Wit
ness was under the impression that the Secretary
Of War had given an order that the prisoners
should receive the same rations as the guard.
ROBERT 8. KELLOGG
recalled for the defence. He testified that he had
been a prisoner at Andersonyille during the sum :
mer Of 1854. Prisoners arrived every day from
one to eight or nine hundred. The greatest nun :
Der witness ever knew to come In one day was
eleven hundred. The prisoners from the Army
cept the clothing they had on. Witness was In
the stockade from the Sd Of May to the 10th Of
September. Witness had written book entitled
Life and Death In Rebel Prisons.
Cross examined does not remember
hearing Of Wirz beating or killing a man. The
character OF Win was cruel and brutal. He was
insulting and profane. The prisoners saw they
were badly treated aud provided for, and II " ~
natural for them to conclude that Wirz was re.
sponsible; he being in command Of the prison.
Witness had called to mind an instance Of cruelty
at the time Sherman's raiders were brought In
they were robbed Of everything, even their
pocket knives and photographs. He was brutal
to the prisoners, and called them very bad names
By consent the cross -exAmin alton Of this wit
ness was suspended until the book written by
him should be brought into court.
MAJOR s. b. FRENCH
having been sworn, testified he resided In Rich =
mond, Virginia, for the pasttwo years had been
In the bureau Of subsistence Of the Confederate
Government; was major; had been in the field
during the first two years Of thewar. While on
the Pen nusula, in 1852, an order came from the
Secretary Of War directing that the ration Of ba-
con be reduced from " to pound Of bacon.
Lee wrote letter to the Secretary Of War.
dispatch was sent to Wilmington to order In ve-
getables from Wilmington. They could not be
procured in any other way. At one time Lee q
army subsisted entirely on corn bread. Knew
that the commissary general was very anxious
that the prisoners should be sent fuIther South,
where they could be more readily fed
Cross examined: Witness was in Johnston =
army. Witness never was at AndersOnville, and
knew nothing about the place The meal fur
nished to Lee army was unbolted.
DIR. G. G. ROY,
recalled for defence. Witness was at Anderson :
Vile from Sept LIST until the close Of the place.
Was there under General Wilson'S instructions
for three or four weeks. WirE frequently tool
prisoners outside; paroled them and put them to
work. The hospital drew Its rations through
the chief surgeon. He made requisiton on the
Com missary for the rationB required for the hos
pital. wirZ had nothing to do with the order
Ing Of the hospital rations. Witness found 9
number Of boys in the hospital as nurses and at
tendants Witness saw WirZ at his house sick
In November Witness knew that WirE was
cripple In his right arm.
THE accused here uncovered his arm and the
Witness resumed In few days after witness
got to Andersonville saw his arm and advised
him to have Il treated. The arm was now as bad
as 1t was the first day witness saw It, Witness
looked upon II as 4 gangrenous ulcer. Witness
thought he could not knock man down will
that arm. Never heard Of a confederate soldier
receiving furlOugh for shooting Union pris
Oner,