Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1865-11-16
EXECUTION OF WIRz.
WAsHrNaroN, Nov. 10th.

Henry Wirs, the .Audersonville Prison
Keeper, in conformity with the sentence pro-
nounccd upon him by the Court Martial which
the hours of 10 and o'clock He exhibited
no fear, and passed to the great hereafter
protesting his innocence of the crimes charged
against him.
There were several hundred spectators be.
sides the military, civilians having been ad.
mitted on special passes. Amid profound
silence Provost Marshal Russell proceeded to
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 combin.
ing, con decorating and conspiring with Jeffer-
son Davis, James A. Seldom. Howell Cobb
John Ii. Winder, Richard b Winder, Josiah
Ii. White, W. $. Winder, w. Shelby Reed
r. r. Stevenson, s. p. More, --Kett, late
hospital Steward at Andersonville, james
Duncan, Wesley W. Turner, BENZ. Harris
and others, whose names are unknown, and
who were then engaged in armed rebellion
against the United States, malciously trail
torously, and in violation of the law. of war.
to impair and injure the health aud destroy
the lives, by combining in unhealthy and un-
wholesome quarters, by exposing to the in
clemency of winter and to the dews and burn
ing sun of sumner, by compelling the use Of
impure water. ana unwholesome food-oflarge
numbers of Federal prisoners to wit The
number of about As, 900 held as prisoners of
war at .indcrsonvilln, within the lines of the
so-called Confederate States, on or bcfJrc the
9th of March. and at divers times between
that day and the tenth day of April, 1865, to
the end that the armies Of the United States
might be weakened and impaired. and that
the insurgents engaged in armed rebellion
against the United States might be aided and
conferred, &C., &c.
The order also states that the prisoner was
found guilty of the second charge. namely {:
Murder in violation of the laws and customs
of war; and guilty of all the specifications ex-
cepting the fourth. tenth and thirteenth, which
there set forth that he killed prisoner by
shooting him with revolver,-that he order
ed a sentinel to fire upon another with re-
volver, and that he beat another with revol
yer so that he died. o.. ......-
The order concludes rs follows:
Scntence.-And the Court do, therefore,
sentence him, Henry, Wirz to be hanged by
the neck till he be dead, at such time and
place as the President of the United States
may direct, two-thirds of the members of the
Court concurring thereiL. And the Court
also find the prisoner, Henry Wirz, guilty of
having caused the death, in the manner as
alleged in specification No. II, of charge 9,
by means of dogs, of three prisoners of war,
in bis custody, and soldiers of the United
States, one occurring on or about the 18th
day of May, 1864, another occurring on or
about the LIST day of September. 1864, but
which finding, as here expressed, is not and
did not enter into the sentence of the Court
as before given.
Second.-The proceedings. finding and
sentence in the foregoing case having been
submitted to the President of the United
States, the following are his orders:
"ExECUTWE MANSION. Nov. Sd, 1865.
The findings and sentence in the within
case are approved, it is ordered that the
sentence be carried into execution bv the
officer commanding the department of Wash
ington. on Friday, the 10Th day of Novem-
Der, 1865, between the hours of 6 o'clock
a. NJ and II o'clock, noon.
ANDREW JOHNSON, President.
Third'-Major Gen. G. G. Anger, COM
handing the Department of Washington, is
commanded to cause the foregoing sentence
in the case of Henry Wirz, to be duly cxecu-
ted in accordance with the Presidents order.
Fourth. The military Commission of which
Major General Lewis Wallace, U. S. Voluu-
teers, is President, is hereby dissolved.
BY command of the President of the United
States. Il. d. TOWNSEND, A. A. G.
THE CLOSING SCENE.
When the reading of the order was com pie
ted, Wirz converscd with those on the plat
form with seeming calmncss and self posses
sion, aud it was remarked that he had u smil-
ing countenance TO his spiritual advisers he
said "a | am innocent. have to die, but |
can die like man. have hope in the flu
ture. / bave nothing more to say"
His legs and hands were then tied, the
moose passed around his neck, and the black
cap placed over his head. lie stood erect
without faltering, evidently having nerved
himself for the dreadful event.
Those on the platform now retired to the
railing, leaving the doomed man on the Gen.
tire of the structure, alone.
After few moments of profound quiet, the
drop, at prcconcerted signal, fell. The
sound thus occasioned having reached the
proniscuous crowd outside of the Old Capitol
grounds, but who were not privileged to view
The execution, was responded to by repeated
shouts of appreciation. The convict. directly
after falling, was considerably convulsed in
his lower limbs, but the agony was soon over
His body hung about Is minutes, and was
hen cut down and laid upon a stretcher and
conveyed to the prison, where it was placed
IN coffin and transferred to Father Boyle
Tor intermcnt. His neck was broken by the
fall. The entire proceedings occupied about
of an hour.
Instructions to Governor Perry, of South
..-... Carolina.
The following is the copy Of the telegram
ADDRESS to
His Ereellency B. +. Perry.
Provisional Governor Of South Carolina
Your letter of the 4th instant is just now
While much has been done in
South Carolina that if conducive to peace and
the President still thinks it is
impossible to anticipate events. He expects.
therefore, that you will continue to exercise
The duties heretofore dexolved upon you as
Provisional Governor of South Carolina aud