Daily national Republican., 1865-08-31
Trial Of Henry Wirz...
The Court Adjourned Until Friday Morning.
UNITED STATES MILITARY COMMISSION
1ES. LEw. wALLAoE, President,
Y Cor. N. p. CHTpnAs,l
MAJ. A. A. BosNER, Judge seAdvocates.
Yesterday after our report closed

@ Sa; 4 < gHIssns' Hass.,' Judge Advocates.
Yesterday after our report closed
ANDREW J. spRIse
WAS sworn and examined by Major Hosmer.
Witness was member Of the 10th Connecticut
volunteers, was captured, and was a prisoner at
Andersonyille. Arrived there In May, 1894
Captain WirI was In command, and there were
rom ls,ooo to l5,Ooo prisoners there then. The
men were destitute OF clothing and food, and
iSir appearance was such that II was dif1oult to
tell whether they were negroes or white men
Ihey were also very nlthy. Witness remained
assigned to duty in the bike. house outside
On account OF the rebel camp alone, the water
In the stoekade was filthy aud not at to use for
any purpose whatev:s. Bacon, rice, peas, and
corn bread generally composed the ration. The
quality Of food was poor. The meal looked as
though the corn had been ground up with the
cob, and two thirds Of the time they had no salt
to bake the bread. The bacon was generally
full Of maggots and had to be washed two or
three times before being cooked. II was often
issued to the prisoners raw. No vegetables
were ever issued, but witness has purchased
them for himself, principally from the boys Of
The sutlership at the stockade was nrst under
control Of Confederate, aud he was bought out
by Uaion prisoner, who purchased his supplies
Of the hrst sutler the latter then keeping in front
Of winder's headquarters. There appeared to
be plenty Of green corn in the vicinity Of the
stockade. Witness saw one field Of seventy Ave
or one hundred acres. Witness had purchased
Vegetables from citizens for green backs, although
Captain Wirz had issued orders prohibiting cifi.
rens from trading with the prisoners. There were
great many peaches In the vicinity ofthe stock
sde witness sometimes smuggled vegetables
into the stockade to the prisoners. Captain wirz
frequently conhscated vegetables the prisoners
had and took them to his own quarters, and he
told the sergeants at the gate that they should
have one half Of all they conhscated. The pris-
oners suffered with chronic diarrhoa and scuryy,
and were so crippled'up that they could not get
along.
After witness had been out Of the stockade six
weeks, he got back for an hour by paying the
lieutenant Of the guard Al2 In greenbacks, being
desirous Of seeing some Of his friends who were
sick. Some OF his best friends had so changed in
that short time that witness did not recognize
them when they spoke to him Witness has seen
prisoners who were idiotic, aud others who wese
so crippled aud sick that they lay upon the
ground to all appearance dead. Tho prisoners
have applied TO Wirz for permission to 90 on
fatigue duty In order to be permitted to iemain
outside the stookade. On one occasion squad
came out to get wood, and one Of them asked
Wirr II he could not stay outside aud work, and
Wlrz, as was his custom, replied with oath,
and used most insulting expression, and said
they should go into the stockade aud stay there
and said he would starye every Cd d-d one OF
them to death That was his common way OF
caped from the bakery, and W hen he was brought
back Wirz said to him, You Cd d-d Yankee
=, ! have mind to shoot you as sure Us 20
TO nell, and know III go there!' This was n
very common remark Of his.
The hounds kept at the stockade were fed from
the bake house RatiOns were drawn for them
regularly, prisoner ration was three to Ave
OUNCES of bread and two ounces Of fat bacon
never issued any -four Captain wirz kept the
prisoners without food two days in July because
two meh had escaped. Wood was plentiful and
witness saw negroes cutting 1t. Has seen wirz
and Turner exercise the hounds, and saw them
bring in y man they had captured with the
hounds. At one time witness saw sixteen men in
the chain gang. They slept together, and when
one lay down all the rest had to do So On the
10Th OF May man was shot by q sentry. Did
not hear Wirz give the order to shoot, but saw
him standing there q moment afterwards and
Wirz threatened to shoot all the prisoners II they
did not'get away. On one occasion man was
under his blaaketasleep: He was lying near the
dead line, aud in his sleep he rolled ander the
dead line, and was Immediately shot by senti.
mel, and instantly killed. Did not see the pris-
oner on that occasion. Witness has seen coiored
Union soldier who were prisoners receive forty
or atty lashes on the back. One colored man was
sick and refused to work, and witness heard wirz
order him to be taken to the stocks and whipped
man named llumes did the whipping Wit
ness has seen Gen. Winder, and at one time saw
him in the stockade, apparently reading an order
to the prisoners.
Cross examined by Mr.. Baker: Witness never
saw Capt Wirz personally assault or shoot any
one, but has heard him give orders to the SEN
tries to shoot any one who passed the dead line
When the man was shot by the sentry the wit
ness did not see WirI standing by the sentry.
Does not know that the sentry was reprimauded
for the shooting. Witness had no reason to be-
lieye that any VI the men who were placed IN the
chain gang ever broke their parole On the lst
Of September three men who broke their parole
and attempted to escape were put In the stocks
and afterwards In the chain gang There were
n class Of men from fourteen to seventy years OF
age who were put on guard, who did nothing
else than to watch opportunities to shoot our |
men. There were good Union men, such as the |
men OF the 5jth Georgia, who were sometimes |
placed on duty, and when they were on duty the |
prisoners had a comparatively good time.
By the Court: Witness has heard the men Of
the 5jth Georgia say that any sentry who shot
prisoner on the dead line received furlough for
thirty days. The men In the chain gang did no
duty, but were brought to the bakehouse each
day for their ratlons. They Jared pretty well,
for the paroled prisoners would secretly give
them Of the best they had. The meal furnished
was not fresh ground. There was plenty Of fresh
provisions at the warehouse near the depot The
warehouse was very large one, and witness
had seen It half full.
By Mr.. Baker: One hundred aud fifty men
were detailed TO bake and cook. Does not recol-
lect how many loaves Of bread were baked daily.
There was large quantity Of -four in the ware
house referred to. In July there were 81, 900
prisoners at AndersOnyille.
The Court adjourned until 10 o clock Friday
morning.