The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-11-16
ExECUr1oN OF rEIRz.
To the Associated Press.

~ NhO hccOSAAeSN a 1850
Captain Wirz was hung, between 10
and lf-oclock this morning. On the
Igallow he declared his, innocence, and
he died without exhibiting any symp-
toms of fear1-This morning,Father
Boyle administered the sacrament to
Captain Wirz, and Father Wiggett,
also of the Roman Catholic Church,
then placed upon the'prisoneI the black
cambrjc, rcmarking. as lie did SO, 81
hope this will be turned into awhile
one, in the other world" At twenty
minutes past 10 O'Clock Captain Wirz
came from his cell, in the Old Capitol
Prison, accompanied by Provost Mar
Eshall Russell and other officers, and by
Fathers Boyle and Wiggett, and pass
Ling betweon the military guard, they
ascended the scafold. The prisoner
was then seated. The scaffold was
twelve feet square, and twenty-five
feet TO the top OF the beam, with the
trap twelve feet from the ground
The guard consisted of the l95th Penn
sylvania Volunteers, and three detach-
ments of the Veteran Reserve Corps,
under command Of Captain Walbridge,
Military Superintendent of the Old
Capitol Prison. There wero several
hundred spectators present, besides the
military, civilians having been admit
ted on special passes.
Amid profound silence, Provost
Marshal Busse proceeded 10 read the
order of the War department, found
ed on the verdict of the Court.martial
which tried the prisoner. He was
charged and convicted of combining,
confederating. and conspiring with
Jefferson Davis, J. A. A.Scddon, Howell
Cobb, John H. Winder, Richard B.
Winder, Isaac White, W. S. Winder.
W. Shelby Reed, B. R. Stevenson, s.
| p. Moore, - Kerr, late Hospital
Steward al Andersonville; James Dun
can, Wesley W. Turner, Benjamin
Harris, and others, whose names are
unknown, and who were then engaged
in armed rebellion against the United
States, maliciously, traitorously, and
in violation of tho laws Of war, to i'm
pair and injure health and destroy
lives, by subjecting torture and great
suffering, by confning in unhealthy
and unwholesomc quarters, by expo.
sing to the inclemency Of winter, and
to tho dews and burning sun of sum.
NOR, by compelling the use Of impure
water, and by furnishing insufficient
and unwholesome fooG, of large num-
bers ofFederal prisoners, to.wit: Sol.
diers TO the number Of about 45, 900,
hold as prisoners Of war at Anderson.
, vile, within the lines of the so.called
confederate states, on or before the 9th
OF March, 1864, and at divers times be-
tween that day and the 10th Of April,
1865, to the end that the armies Of the
United States might be weakened and
impaired, and that the insurgents en-
gagged in armed rebellion against tho
United States might be aided and
comforted, &c.
The order also states that the pris
oncr was found guilty of tho second
charge, namely, murder in violation
of the laws and customs of war; and
guilty of all the specifications, except
ing the fourth, tenth and thirteenth
which three set forth that "he killed q
prisoner by shooting him with re
volver," that "he ordered a sentinel ia
: fro upon them with q revolver" and
"that lie shot another with revolver
and that he died" The order con.
cludes rs follows: "Scntence--And
the court do therefore sentence him,
, Henry Wrz to bc hanged by the neck
until he be dead, at such timo and
place as tho President of the United
States may direct, two.thirds of the
members of the Court concurring here.
. in; and the Court also find tho prison
cr, Henry Wrz, guilty Of having
caused death, in the manner rs alleged
: in specification eleventh, charge sec.
ond, by means of dogs, of three pris.
oncrs of war in his custody, and sol
dicrs Of tho United States, one occur
ring on or about the 10Th of May, 1864,
another occurring on or about the 1lth
: day Of July, 1864, and another occur
5 ring on or about the lst day of Sep
tembor, 1864, but which finding, as
hore expressed, has not, and did not
enter into tho sentence of the Court
as above stated" "
t "2d. The proceedings, findings and
sentence in the foregoing case having
been submitted to the President Of the
United States, the following are his or
dors:
"ExEc UTIvE MANSION, Nov,3, '65.
"'The proceedings, findings and
sentence Of the Court in tho within
case arc approved, and il is ordered
that tho sentence be carried into exc
cution, by tho officer commanding the
Department of Washington, on Friday,
the 10th day of November, 1865, be.
tween tho hours Of o'clock in the
morning, and II o'clock, noon.
ANDREW JOHNSON,
"'President OF the United States
"3d. Major General @. O. Augur
Commanding the Department of Wash
: ington, is commanded to cause the
foregoing sentence, in tho case of Hen.
ry Wirz, to DO duly executed, in &C
cordanco with the Presidents or.
: der. '"l 8n
: "4th. Tbs Military Commission, OF
which Major General Il. Wallace U
: S. Volunteers, is President, is hereby
+ dissolved. cl tl ta 7
"By command of tho President o.