Daily national Republican., 1865-10-02
Trial Of Henry Wirz.
MONDAY, Oct. 2, 1865.
UNITED STATES MILITARY COMMISSION
GEN. LEW. WALLACE, President,


The Commission assembled this morning At
ten o'clock all the members present, the Judge
| Advocates, and the counsel for the accused.
The Court Of Claims having commenced their
| session this morning, the Commission now hold
their sessions in the room used by the Union Ma
tonal Committee, on the same floor as the Senate
gallery and In the northeast corner Of the build
ing. The crowd In attendance was very large,
many being ladies. The room is much larger
than the one formerly used.
| Al quarter past eleven the prisoner was brought
In and shown TO seat at the table, BY the side
Of his counsel.
The reading Of the testimony was concluded at
fifteen minutes before twelve o'clock, when
| WIN. D. HANMAcK
was recalled. He testified the dogs used at An.
dersonville were fox hounds. Never knew Of
| the guards drawing axes from the ouartermas-
by the guard. There wasa general order that
prisoners should not cross the dead line. The
| weakest portion Of the stookade was whore the
an s
| should stay in the rank so their names could be
taken. Some Of the wounded prisoners were
sent to the hospital; others were sent into the
stockade. Sometimes all were sent In the stock
ade because they could not 60 In the hospital
uutil the surgeon examined them. Never know
Of wirz shooting or beating prisoner 10 death.
Stoneman's men were searched near Castle
| Reed. There was an order 10 arrest the guard II
they ared the load out Of their guns. They would
take advantage Of the night, and shoot the load
ade 10 call the roll. There were NO nurses In the
stoekade. Some Of the prisopersin the stoekade
had watches. The Confedefats soldiers would
ticiss as clothing. Or anything the prisoners had
70 sell: Witness got suit Of clothes from the
Confederate Government about the nrst Of Janu-
ary, 1865. The sergeants in the stoekade had
In the fall Of 1854 or spring Of 1865 thought the
paIoled prisoners got some Of the goods.
Cross-exsmined.- Went to Andersonville In
February, 1854 Witness would sometimes get
on the platform and look over In the stockade.
Did not know what Wirz was doing previous TO
the 10th Of July. The time at which witness
| structions to the guard TO shoot any prisoners
found across the dead line. II took about two
hours for witness to call the roll Of his division
wirI after he had called the roll. II was very
disagreeable In the stockade, and witness would
take the report Of the sergeant Of the squad so as
he could get out soon. II was disagreeable be-
cause there were many men crowded in there and
| no shade IL was very warm II was the SER
geant's duty TO take the sick to the gate Witness
know nothing about any division but his own;
Witness thought the prison did not smell dis
agreeable. Had heard men say their sergeant
refused to take them to sick call. Witness would
then inform the Chief Of Police. One man be-
longing to witness squad escaped. He was
brought back BY some citizens. Capt. wirI ordered
witness to put another man In the stocks for "a
hours, because he knew Of the mans escape.
Witness let him out Of the stocks after he had
been in two hours. It was the only case where
man belonging to witness division was pun
ished, so far as witness knew. WirI did not
speak kindly to any one. He was very profane
man. The most ptOfape man witness ever saw.
He had very violent temper.
WitueSs had taken onions and pepper In the
stockade. Had received money frsm prisoners
OF war for things he took in. Would get two or
three dollars in Confederate money for dozen
onions. The sutler charged exorbitant prices.
Witness procured the onions at the depot They
came up from Americus. Witness was permitted
to go In the stockade any time he wanted to.
The onions would cost witness u. 90 or ". 90
dozen, Witness always made little on any.
were furnished with certain tools, and 1t was
( their duty TO keep the stockade clean. In July
or August they were not Furnished with shoyels:
! in any squad witness IS had charge Of. witness
knew Of tive or three times when the rations
were stopped In part Of the camp.
/. On one occasion prisoner reported some otheT1|
tunnelling out. The other prisoners got
and shaved half Of his head. Capt wirI said
that division should have no ratious until they
produced the parties who shaved the mans
head. Each guard was allowed to have three
men for wood. Saw one man bitten by the dogs.
He had run away from the hospital. Did not
know the precise date Of the absence Of Wirz.
He left about the last Of July and returned about
the last Of August. Lieut.. Davis was In COM
mand during WirI's absence. Lieut.. Davis
signed the acquisitions for rations during the
|
duty there without witness knowing It. At that
time some So 900 or 81, 900 prisoners were there.
During the day Wirz would write and look over
his books, walk about and lie down.
Smith was sergeant and called the roll In the
hospital. Smith rode WirI's horse often. STRAIT
ford and Turner also often rode his horse. Had
seen WiIr many times among the prisoners with th
stockade until after the 10th Of July. Witness
said WirE never gave him anything. Had seen
Confederate soldiers wear ng the sanitary cloth
Ina hut1 nnfth nh has al ham frnm m
Captain wirI. Saw Duncan's squad Of paroled
men signing for sanitary clothing.
vINCENTIo BARDo,
having been sworn, testified that he had been In
the service Of the United States.
Judge Advocate Chapman here read an order
from the War Department, relieving Gen. Z. s.
Bragg from further duty on the Commission.
Mr.. Baker wanted to know the reason.
The Court: You cannot ascertain It, sir. II
does not concern you. You have nothing to do
with the orders Of this Court
Mr.. Baker; Can address the Court, thsni
The Court; No; you cannot object or make q
motion. II is none Of your business.
Mr.. Baker: must object.
The Court: There is NO objection about 1t. Go
} on with the examination, sir.
Witness resumed: Arrived there in January,
1884. Witness blacked his face and got out OF
the gate with Q lot Of negroes. Was taken to
wirI's once lieutenant came up and said to
] witness, Are You negro or white manH' Re-
moved witness's hat and said, "You are white
man what the hi are you doing here He then
took witness and gave him twenty Ave lashes on
his back, and then put him In the stocks for four
hours tWirI was here told to stand up. Wit
ness stated that was the Dutch captain. He was
not the man who whipped witness.l
| Witness did not see Wirz don't know who or
dered him to be whipped
FREDERICK GAZZETTI
testified that he had been In the United States
service; was an Italian by birth; was a member
: Of the 47th New York; and was q prisoner at
Andersonyille; was in the stockAde from the 10Th
|, Of March to the 2sth Of August was then paroled
and taken to Capt WirI's headquarters, where
he remained until the 18th Of November. The
6rst time witness saw Wirz was several days
after he (witness) arrived there. man was
shot and taken out and several men asked to 30
to see him at the hospital Wirz gave permis:
sion to one or two. The ratons were stopped
about the fourth Of July On one occasion two
or three men were missing, and the ra1ions were
stopped until the missing men were found W.T.
ness was punished one day for being absent from
roll call The rebel sergeant ordered that wit
ness should have NO ration that day, but witness
received his ration through the federal sergeant
In command Of the squad.
The tunnels were frequently made from the
wells. Witness was engaged with others In dig:
ging tunnel A rebel officer came In and found
the tunnel A second and third attempt was
made and the officer found out each time. Wit:
| ness and his comrades suspected some one had