Litchfield enquirer., 1865-08-31
Litchfield. Conn, Thursday, Aug 3l, 1865
ftsC- tss1+.f-J f.g The Great Trial

-.-.L The Great Trial, tl '1 ',.,-2 gu. -- The trial of Capt Wirz, the keeper of the Andersonville slaughter pen, has at last been commenced in Washington, before military commission, of which Major Gen. Lew. Wal lace is President and Col. N. P. Chipman is Judge Advocate. The Commission is com posed of officers of dignity and intelligence, and the prisoner will undoubtedly have a fair and impartial trial. When we consider how deep and universal is the popul ar indignation against this wretched man, and how utterly impossible it would have been to empannel an unprejudiced jury for his trial the decision of the authorities to arraign him before military court seems really to be an act. of mercy towards the pris oner. Before a civil tribunal, he could only have escaped the verdict of popular sentiment by managing to pack the jury with his secret friends, and by their perfdy slipping the hand of justice as we'll as that of vengeance. It has been unfortunate for him that he seems to have found it impossible to obtain legal council of any ability. His first council was composed of a respectable Washington law firm, but they left him early in the trial. He then procured the services of two men named Schade and Baker, who are constantly irritating the Com mission by their petulence and stupidity Even these miserable assistants abandoned him on Monday, and left shim in the hands of the Judge Advocate, but returned the next day in answer to his most feryent entreaties. .
 The charges upon which he is arraigned, are of conspiring with several other persons in the employ of the Confederate Government, to in jure the health and destroy, the lives of Union soldiers in rebel and Southern prisons, and also with murder, in violation of the laws and cus- toms of war. The specifications allege the most cruel practices, such as starvation pur- posely, the vaccination ofsoldiers. with impure matter, the furnishing of rotten food, the em- ployment of bloodhounds, &c.
 The testimony of Col. Gibbs, who command ed the post of Andersonville, has been taken. He said that Wirz had full control in the pris on that the full army rations were served out to him by the quartermaster; that the prison ere were so crowded as to remind him of ar ant-hill; that dogs were kept to run down those who managed to escape and that these dogs were a part of prison appointments, furnished by the rebel government and kept on confeder ate rations: ""i 'f'' .'"" '''f,
 Dr. John c. Bates, who was one of the prison surgeons, made thrilling statement of the condition of the prison The men, afflicted with scurvy, lice, gangrene and complaints ot the bowels, were fed on starving allowance ofcorn meal, with occasionally about two ounces of spoiled meat for Q change, and were kept exposed to the storms and the sun, when an abundance of timber for building comfortable quarters could have been procured in the yicin. ity. He stated, as his opinion, that at least seventy five per cent. of those who died might have been saved by proper treatment, 15 ,s.,,;,
 Dr. A. W. Burrows, of Amherst, Mass, tes. ti6ed that he was sent prisoner to Anderson. vile, and was detailed surgeon while there He heard Wirz say that he would starve prison. CTS who attempted to escape. He, testified as to the paucity and unwholesomeness of the rations, and the want of medical supplies Blood hounds were kept to pursue prisoners attempting to escape men were shot on the slightest pretences and many were vaccinated with poisonous matter, from the effects of.Which they died. When the prisoners were being removed from Andersonville, one of them was unable to keep up with the rest, when Wir2 knocked him down and stamped upon him. i
 Other witnesses, among them, Boston Cor bett, who had been prisoners at Andersonville testified to the filth. and vermin, and cruelty and starvation that prevailed in the stockade
 Some had been robbed, by Wirz, otmoney and valuables some had been put in stocks; o,ie had seen Wirz shoot a man so that he died
 because he asked the privilege, being sick, p
 being removed where he could get fresh air
 others had heard him order sentries to shoo
 men for the most trifliDg causes. ssuom@ 'aso5
 Further Ihorrid details of rebel savagery will
 come out in the trial. Their rehearsal will mak,
 the heart sick and yet it is our duty to put thes
 things upon the record. Indeed, we could no
 suppress this fearful tale if we would. In ever.
 hamlet are the victims of rebel poison ant
 starvation. As we write, upon the street be-
 meath our window walks a living witness t
 their attempts at wholesale murder, his forn
 bent, his eye languishing, his purple vein
 swelling with ingrafted poison. Upon the tab
 let of history, by the side of those heroic ex
 ploits that have filled this epoch of our nation
 life with glory and crowned 1t with triumph
 will be displayed a record of the murderous
 barbarous, infamous deeds, that make up th
 history of the Great RebeEion.s lads II I D l D@That cold night last week was an Icy opener to us. fl It reminded us that we are lia ble at any time to be overtaken by winter an !. be obliged to wade over to town through ! foot or 80 of snow. and to find our pas frozen md nour ick et;ffa,yol Oc :, ac,,rsso se