The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-11-15

hs declared his Innocence. He died
Exhibiting any symptoms Of fear.
This morning Father Boyle administered
The sacraments to Capt. w., and Father
Wigget, also of the Roman Catholic
Church, then placed upon tho prisoner .
black cambria cap, remarkiug, as he did
SO, that he hoped this will be turned into
a white one in the other world. At 20
minutes past 10 O'Clock Capt. Wirz came
from his cell IN Old Capitol Prison, ac-
c~ompanied by Provost Marshal Russell
aud other officers, and by Fathers Boyle
aud Wiggett, and passing between tho
military guard they assembled the scaffold.
The prisoner was then seated. The scat
fold was IL feet square and % feet to
the top Of the beam, with q drop IL feet
fall from the ground. The guard con-
sisted Of the 1876 Pennsylvania Volun-
teers and three detachments Of the Vet
eran Reserve Corps, under command OF
Capt. Walbridge, military superintendent
of Old Capitol Prison. There were sew
eral hundred spectators present besides
the military, civilians having been admit
ted on special passes. ','h'.
Amid profound silence Provost Mar
shall Russell proceeded to read the order
of the War Department founded on the
verdict of the court.martial which tried
the prisoner. He was charged and con-
victed Of combining, confederating and
cunspiring with Jefferson Davis, j.. A..
Seldom, Howell Cobb, Jno. II, Winder.
Richard B. Winder, Isaiah White, W. s.,
Winder, W. Shelby Reed, R R. Steven:
SOD, 8. IL. Moore,-Keer, late hospital
steward at Andersonville, Jos. Duncan,
Webster W. Turner, BENZ. Harris, and
others, whose names are unknown and
who were then engaged in armed rebel
lion against the United States, malicious
ly, traitorously and in violation Of the
laws Of war, to impair and ipjure the
health and to destroy the lives, by sub
Ijecting to torture and great suffering, by
combining in unhealthy and unwholesome
quarters, by exposing to the inclemency
Of winter and to the dews and burning
sun Of summer, by compelling the use Of
impure water, and by FURNISHING Insult.
,cient and unwholesome food, Of large
number Of Federal prisoners-to-wit Ito
the number Of about 45,OO0-held as
prisoners Of war at Andersonville, with.
in the lines Of the so-called Confederate
States, on or before the 9th Of March,
1864, and at divers times between that
day and the 10th Of April, 1865, to the
end hat the armies Of the United States
might be weakened and impaired, and
that the insurgents engaged in armed re
bellion against the United States might
be aided and comforted, etc., etc.
Phe order also states that the prisoner
was found guilty Of the second charge,
namely, murder, in violation Of the lawi
and customs of war, and guilty Of all the
specifications excepting the 4th, 10th and
18th, which three set out that he killed
a prisoner by shooting him witha revol
YER that he ordered a sentinel to fire
upon another with q revolver, and thai
he shot another with a revolver so thai
he died i.t .F .pIld
The order concludes as follows: j
Sentence-And the court do therefore
sentence him, Henry Wirz, to be hanged
by the neck until he be dead, at such
time and place as the President Of the
United States may direct, two-thirds Of
the court corcurring herein, And the
court also find the prisoner, Henry Wirz.
guilty of having caused the death, in the
manner as alleged in specification llth,
charge I'd, by means Of dogs, of three
prisoners Of war in his custody and SOL
diers Of the United States-ouo occur.
ring on or about the. 18th Of May, 1864
another occurring on or about the 18th
day Of July, 1864 ; another occurring or
or about the LIST day of September, 1854
but which finding, as here expressed, hi,
not and did not enter into the sentence
Of the court as before given.
I'd. The proceedings, findings, and
sentence in the foregoing case having
been submitted to the President Of thu
United States, the following are his or
ders
Executive MANSION, Nov. 8, '63.
The findings and sentence of the courI
in tie within case are approved, and il il
ordered that the sentence be carried into
execution by the officer commanding the
Department of Washington, on Friday
the 10th day of November, 1866, be.
tween the hours of 6 O'Clock in the morn.
ing and II O'Clock noon. .H.
[Sigued] ANDREW Johnson, {
President Of the U. s.
81. Major g. G, Augur, commanding
Department Of Washington, is command,
ed TO cause the foregoing sentence, in the
case Of Henry Wirz, to be duly executed
in accordance with the Presidents order
4th. The Military Commission Of
which Major General Lewis Wallace,
United States volunteers, is President, il
hereby dissolved. ~
BY command Of the President Of The
United States.
[signed] 4. D. TOWNSEND, A, A, G.
When the reading Of the order wa
completed, Wirz conyersed with those or
the platform with seeming coridence anS
self-possessiOn, and it was remarked tina
he had q smiling countenance. To hi
spiritual advisor he said, slam innocent
l have to die, but / die like q mar. !
LIZ L. = A. E.I l-ls-