Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-20
Trial Of Henry Wirz.
WEDNESDAY, sEPrrxnrR 29 1865.
UNITED STATES MiLITARY COMMISSION
Gss. LRw. wALLACB, President, ~
Cor. N. p. OHIPnAH, Jra,s Advocated.

accused. The crowd In attendance was fully as
large as any day previous.
The Court having been called to order, Colonel
Chapman, the Judge Advocate, stated that the
prisoner had requested to be permitted to remain
iu his room until after the reading OF the record.
There being no obi jection the request was granted,
and the reading Of the proceedings Of yesterday
were commenced by Mr.. Hays, the Official re-
porter, who finished at fifteen minutes before
twelve o'clock, when the accused was brought
into Court, accompanied bya guard, and was
shown to the sofa, where he laid down. This
morning he was dressed In clean white shirt
and collar. The nrst witness called was
DR. A. THoRNBURaH.
Testified that he had been in the rebel army as
private. Was appointed as an Assistant Sur
geon, aud promoted to Surgeon. Served about
two years in the held. On the 10th Of March
was sent TO oxford, Ga. Was then ordered to
Andersonville to report to the commander OF the
prison. Reported there on the l4th Of fAptil 1884,
and was assigned to duty at the hospital by Sur
geon white. Remained In the hospital until the
post was broken mp, about the Sd Of May, 1858
Part Of the time was on duty In the stockade and
at the gate. Capt wirr was In command Of the
interior prison. Witness understood II was his
business to keep the prisoners inside the stock
ads. Witness did not know what the scope Of
or three months-June, July and August
thought he came from Richmond to Anderson
vile. Witness frequently made reports to Sur
geon White as to the condition Of the hospital
also made reports to DR.. Stevenson. Witness
Identified q copy Of report made by him to Dr.
stevenson. DR.. Clayton was In charge when
the post was abandoned.
The report referred to is as follows:
c. g. M. HosPIrAL,)
ASDRRsoSvILLB, Ca, Sept. 26, 1884.
SIR: Iwoud most respectfully call your stten-
tion to the very bad sanitary condition Of the
second division, as we'll as the whole hospital to
- =. iii =
tse immense quantity 81 MIN aecnmuiating IN
patients and to the fact that Il cannot be other
wise until we are furnished with the means with
which to work Patients lying on the cold
ground, without bed or blanket; and, also,
that We have a very scanty supply OF medi-
cines, and that the ratons not OF the proper
kind and not issued In proper quantity. Hoping
that the proper steps may be taken to remedy
these defects,
am, sir, your obedieut servant,
A. THoRNBuRGH, Asst Surgeon.
r. r. STEVENSON, Surgeon In charge p. A. @. s.
Witness had made several similar reports to
DR.. White. Witness frequently saw the prison
ers have pants maze out OF what little bed cloth
ing they could get. During the administration
Of DR.. White but few vegetables were issued, and
those in small quantities Witness knew there
was Ru order from the War Department placing
prison hospitals on the same footing as Confeder-
ate hospitals. The hopitL fund could have been
drawn, and It would have supplied the hospital
with vegetables. The meal issued was very
coarse and unsifted. Under the administration Of
DR.. Stevenson things were very little better than
they were under Dr. White. 1t was very diff
cult to procure medicines, and when requisitions
were made It was some days before they were
filled, the medicines most needed frequently not
being furnished at all.
The mortality was great. Witness attributed
It to the want Of proper diet the crowding Of men
In small space, aud the lack of shelter and fuel.
The worst cases were brought from the stockade
to the hospital. There would be forty, hfty or
sixty deaths per day, and their places would be
lI.lk k.V. 81, fraW Sha aNa l1nAn ~ ha
frequently occurred In the stockado. Some died
who had never received medical attention. When
a man was sent to the hospital the disease which
be had was entered upon the register, with his
name. Persons waiting at the stoekade gate for
medical attention would die while waiting to be
carried to the hospital. Witness recommended
to DR.. White the issuing Of an order recommend
ing the surgeons who prescribed at the stockade
gate to pin the name and disease on the coat Of
each man who died. Dr. White issued such An
order.
Witness was here sh avn the hospital register. |
Witness stated that he recognized the book as
being the hospital book kept at Anderson vile.
Saw no marks to indicate that 1t had been tam
pered with, except some pencil marks which he
offered in evidence by Col. Chapman; 1t Is a rec
ord Of the hospital at Andersonville.
MR.. FREDERICK N. JAYNE,
clerk to the Commss testified that he had |
prepared an exhibit OF the number Of deaths
from the book. In preparing the exhibit he |
made the check marks referred to by the wit
ness.
DIR. THoRSBURGH
resumed The number returned to the stockade
from the hospital was very small. Many who |
got we'll were detailed Us nurses, or ON some
duty outside the Stockade. Witness had fire. |
quently seen men brought out Of the stOckade, |
and no one knew what they died with. One |
half OF those who died could have been saved had
proper diet, shelter, and accommodations heen |
furnished. In August hye or six buildings were |
erected In the northwest corner Of the stockade.
- - III.
other sheds were erected In the south part Of the
stockade. Witness knew nothing about the ca |
pacity Of the sheds, or how many men they |
would hold Many Of the prisoners built shelter |
from boughs, old blankets, or anything they |
could get. There was some frost and little ice
during the winter. In the emaciated condition |
Of the prisoners the weather was cold enough to
freeze them to death. During the summer OF
1864, tho hottest weather, the thermom meter stood
about 96 or 100 in the shade. In the summer Of |
1865 II was much warmer.
Col. Chapman here called attention on the reg
lister to the name Of o. Jerrity OF the lO6th Penn
sylyania regiment, who was frozen to death dur
ing the winter Of 1854. |
By Mr. Baker: Witness thought the buildings |
were erected In the stockade by order Of Capt. |
WirI. The register offered in evidence was the |
property Of the hospital, and In charge OF DR.. |
White. The prisoners from Belle Isle were
brought there before witness was on duty there. |
they arrived. Witness never treated person
who had received q gun-shot wound inside the |
stockade. Witness saw q man's leg Amputated. |
He had been shot by the sentinel. For what |
cause witness did not know. Witness had fire. |
quenty seen men brought out Of the stOckade |
with wounds upon them. They were dead.
Saw some who had their skulls fractured. Wit
ness had treated one or two who had been
wounded in the stockade by their comrades In
the early part Of June witness treated 800 pa
tients per day, Witness said he was never In
terfered with by Capt. WirI; thought he showed
u disposition for the Surgeons to do all they
could for the prisoners.
There was large quantities Of vegetables en-
tered on the hospital books that never entered the
hospital. They were entered on the hospital
books as bought, but they were never brought In
the hospital fund, and there must have bean fraud
committed. II the amount Of hospital fund al
lowed by the government had been drawn, II
would have been enough to supply all necessary
thugs to the hospital. The hospital fund should
have been drawn from the commissarv. Witness
stated " It had been his duty and he had been
furnished with the money, he cOuld have bought
plenty Of vegetables. All kinds Of vegetable diet
required for the hospital, with eggs, butter,
for sick men. Sometimes they got wheat broad
that is, such patients as 1t was prescribed for.
In the fall OF 1864 several priests were al
lowed to visit the place and administer to the
prisoners. They also gave the prisoners money,
aud sent large quantity Of -four, which was
baked In the bakery and distributed to the pris-
Oners. There was an order forbidding any ciu-
zen to go In the hospital without pass from
Capt WirZ Citizens were not allowed to trade
blankets for his division which had heen fur
nshed by the w. Sanitary Commission. The
rules were more gtriCt while Winder was at
AndersUnyille than afterwards