The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-22
New York. Friday. September 22, 1856
TRIAL OF WIRZ.

TRIAL OF WIRZ.
number of witnesses were examined in the Wrz
court martial yesterday disclosing If possible even
heinous and revolving acts and conduct the part
of the accused and other rebel prison officers than had
hitherto been elected j. Burns Walker testified that on
the 4th of March General Howell Cobb made speech at
Andersonvle which the paroled prisoners were allowed
to listen to- Cobb declared he was sorry any prisoners
had been taken, and that if he had his way he would
hang every of Them and advised the citizens to hang
any of the Yankees who might to their houses.
He commended the cruel treatment inflicted by Wirz
and said -'Gf President Lincoln gets me he will
hang me, and If get him l will hang him. "
Ambrose Spencer, whose home nine miles
from Andersonve, testified that he had visited
the prison Often and that its condition was
the most filthy and wretched that could be
conceived. The poisonous odor from it could be
smellcd two miles distant. There plenty of all
kinds of supplies in the vicinity to have made the prs
comfortable Provisions and other necessaries
collected for them by benevolent ladies of the
neighborhood; but these they not allowed to
ceive and wirz General wnder and Captain R. b. Win
der proposed as punishment for these ladies, that
house of ill fame should be established and that they
should all be placed In It, General Wnder spoke about
ii with much profanity and ndecency Of language and
said he woud as soon the damned Yankees should die
there as anywhere else" Wrz boosted that he would
make the prison destroy many Yankees get
ting killed at the front. DR. J. b Head rebel surgeon in
the Andersonvile prison hospital testified to the disease
and terrible suffering there produced by want of proper
food, medicine and shelter His wife and number Of
other ladies collected supplies for the sufferers but he
refused the privilege Of distributing them, and his
life threatened by the prison officers for his agency
in the matter. These supplies afterwards given to
rebel soldiers large amount Of other testimony
adduced in regard to the suerings and misery Of
the cap,ives and the brutality and inhumanity OF Wrz
tho winders and other prison officers.
THE NEWS.
The steamship Columbia Captain Barton, arrived here
yesterday, from Havana the 10th inst She brought
nothing later from Mexico. royal decree is issued
ordering the Spanish army In Cuba to be reduced to the
dimensions of which 1t consisted previous to the Domi-
nican invasion II Is said that several Havanese inte
rested in the slave trade endeavong raise by sub
scrption fund Of three hundred thousand dollars to be
used for the purpose Of ondeavong to bride the Spanish
Cabinet into arrangement by which negroes from
Africa may be imported into Cuba without moestation
Havana paper that tho Indebtedness OF Cuba
SPAIN which in 1927 hundred and sixty seven
millions Of dollars reduced to seventy eight mil
lions
Later news has been received from 81. Domingo, by
way of Havana The country is quiet The Protector
Cabral has imprisoned his predecessor in power Pmen
tai and his advisers Preparations making for the
election Of permanent President General valverde is
the most prominent candidate
In tho Alabama Reconstruction Convention on Monday
last ordinance introduced, but had not been
finally acted upon at the date of our latest advces
declaring null and void the secession ordinance and all
acts under in conformity with it, This accords with
ho ha hutp nj
with that OF tho delegates in the South Carolina Conven
ton who seemed 10 look upon their secession ordinance
legal enactment and took the trouble TO repeal it,
Resolutions have been introduced in the Alabama Con-
ventaon pedging cordial support Of President Johnsons
admin abstraction, and requesting him to pardon JEFF Davis
and TO declare general amnesty to rebels II Is not yet
known whether they will be adopted On Wednesday Of
this week resolution adopted requesting the Gov
TO organize the Stale militia to put stop to the
prevalent lawcssness. Tho slavery abolition ordinance
was debated and laid over till yesterday.
General connors troops engaged in the expedition
against the hostile Indians OF the Plains attacked and
defeated large force the 2sth Of August the
Big Horn river, and took from them Eve hundred head
of cattle and large quantity Of plumber number of
General Connor's men, including several officers
killed and wounded
In the council at Fort Smith, Arkansas, seventy i've
loyal and seventy four disoy Indian delegates not In
Guiding the Chiefs had signed the treaty of peace with
the government commissioners up TO yesterday. The
Chocaws and Chickasaws signed IL yesterday, and tho
council finally closed
Provisional Governor Hamilton, Of Texas has directed
that the present organizations for holding courts In that
State shall DO continued and that in regard TO trial and
punishment for crime negroes must be put equality
with white men.
Joseph r. Anderson Of the Tredegar Iron Works, Mt
Richmond, was pardoned by the President yesterday
He belonged 10 three Of the exempted classes having
graduated at West Point, having been q rebel general
and being worth twenty thousand dollars Fayctte
McMullen, Of Virginia, formerly believe, Governor
of Washington Territory was is said also pardoned
The Wisconsin Democratic State Convention was held
at Madison on Wednesday Harris G. Hobart nom
dents reconstruction policy, pledge him support and
oppose negro suffrage and the suspension Of the babeas
corpus writ
The examination Of the charges against Captain Ander
son. OF the American emgrant ship vafr anca Of cruel
treatment OF his passengers . recent voyage from
London 10 New York, continued yesterday before
United States Commissioners Osborn The court room
crowded with those Interested in the case including
the crew Of the vessel and the passengers or the latter
few additional gave their evidence corroboratng what
had before been testified regarding the nsucency and
upboesomcncss of tho food and the the prose
cuon was closed Several witnesses then testified for the
defence and H. lr statements were fiat contradictions
OF the charges 81 hort allowance and unwhoesomenass
OF lLv sLips fvga sad II egnslty ep w pert oe w