The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-03

The Old Story Of the AndersOnyille
Horrors Repeated.
Condemnation Of the Statements Re.
garding the Shooting and Starv-
ing Of Our Soldiers.
Arrest Of B. B. Winder, Accused Of
COnspiring with Wirz.
&c. &es &e.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 1885
The w.rz Military Commission reasssmbled to-day.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2, 1885
The wirz Military Commission reasssmbled tOday.
TESTIMONY OF o. S. BELcHER.
Mr.. o. 8 Belcher testified that he had served in the
Sixteenth Illinois cavalry, and a prisoner Ander
sonve from the 9Th Of March until September 1894 he
Thought that Captain wirz assumed about the
LIST of April occasion wrz into the stockade
when cripple walking on clutches approached and
asked to- go outside; the request refused and the
cripple would rather shot stay There's the
witness heard Wirz halloo TO the sentinel TO ''te
that if he did not go back he would shoot him."
the did not return when the sentinel fired and shot
him in the jaw; the cripple known by the name of
tsChckamauga;" Wirz afterwards threatened to shoot
the other If they did not go away; on another
occasion, while the prisoners were being divided
into squads Of hundreds, one of the men, owing
to sickness, did not fall in, and wirz threatened
to shoot him, and did shoot at him; the ball
through the mans hat; the prisoners were Kept
in the sun all day, and were not allowed 10 procure
water; if the squad could not give Satisfactory
account OF any one e.r tbia was the case
for three days early in July there was nsucient room
in the prison. scarcely enough for men to stand upon
the limits enlarged the north side there were
fortytwO prisoners there at one tme he had
heard wrz say he was killing more Yankees than those
who were serving the 'front.' witness had seen twenty
five or thirty shot the dead line and others
fred into who we're not over the dead line
Cross-examned by the defence.-Q Were there not
desperadocs there men who would steal and COM
init other offences and was not cripple you
referred one of themG A. There were troublesome
characters there, but don't know whether that
belonged Thorn not don't think that cripple
crutch was good man to steal gaughterl
During further examination the witness spoke OF
at whom the sentinel fred
Q. Did y III the ball hit him? A. man must have
very good eyes to see ball when 1t strikes man
(Laughtcr)
The witness gave various instances of being shot,
shot while he was in his tent for merely stretch
ing his beyond the dead line; another shot at
for treadng the dead line He heard Captain Wirz
order the sentinel to shoot the cripple. Some OF those
shot at killed and others taken to the hospital
TESTIMONY OF JAMES II. DAVIDSON.
James H. Davidson testified that he was member OF
tho Iowa cavalry and taken prisoner to Anderson
vile the 9Th of March; he described the filthy condi
ton of the prison and the great mortality among The
prisoners; for week he drove the dead wagon some
times twenty live men were thrown into II at time, ana
the return he would bring wood and raons In the
cart no had seen rebel soldiers with Blankets,
shoes and shirts them sent there by the Sanitary
Commission for the OF own men, Captain war;,
he knew, made breakfast some of the crackers
chees, and BEEF sent there for our prisoners he had
seen four or Ave hundred the depot with sup
plies; they were marked U. g.; it common thing
for to be put in the chain gang man died in the
Chain gang with an iron collar round his neck ne had
the hounds there there were two kinds, "catch
dogs" aud bull terriers; OF the dogs badly tore the
flesh from mans leg another man was hanging up his
clothes which he had washed tn dry of the pieces
blew the dead line, he stepped beyond the line to
get the pece when he was fired upon and shot in The
breast another had reached beyond the dead line
for some crumbs of bread, when he was shot in the
head; Wirz shot man short time after he assumed
OF the the WAS when siee Wr
shot him. Wirz remarked that he was killing mora Yam
KEGS there than Lee at Richmond; this was said in
August rz was at the time with the witness in the
graveyard in the wagon with the dead men the witness
had seen starved death food scarce at one
time that some of them picked up particles Of food that
had already passed through the system.
On his examination by the defence the witness
said the graveyard comprised twenty five or thirty acres
and when he left Andersonve the 18th Of September
last, IL was about two thirds full.
The court them at one O'Clock, took recess until two
O'Clock.
EXAMINATION OF JAMES IL DAVIDSON RESUMED.
On the rcasscmblng Of the court the examina-
ton of Davidson resumed
Witness had never seen Wirz shoot more than one
man; tho grave dggers Union soldiers.
By Court-The dead buried about two feet and
a half deem Some were buried with and some without
clothing Witness had never seen any OF the dead
stripped before they were buried men were buried in
trenches occasion one hundred ana nlty Ooues
were put into single trench.
Captain J. H. Wright and Colonel Tanning, formerly
in the Confederate service testified the signatures
of General Winder and Captain Wirz TO consolidated
return for August last which was exhibited TO them.
TESTIMONY OF MAJOR HosMER.
Major Uosmer Associate Judge Advocate, was sworn,
and testified that he obtained the paper from the chief
having custody of the rebel papers at the War Depart
ment
The paper was read in evidence and Is follows: -
CONSOLIDATED CONFEDERATE STATES MILL
rARy PRISON, CAMP SUMTER GEORGIA. FOR TIE MONTH
Prisoners on hand on the last Of August 1904
In camp. ....................Zs's o o
In hospital. i,os'
Received from various places during August. 307s
Recapturcd .........................
Making In the aggregate. ..o4, 1oO
Died dunng the month of August ........2 9oa
Sent TO other prisons .....................'.' 20