Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-10-19
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TO THE
DAILY COMMERCIAL.
From Savannah.
A GREAT 4DT4NCE IN COTTON
AFFAIRS IN TENNESSEE.
THE SENATE ON NEGRO TESTIMONY
MEXICAN AFFAIRS.
Another Version of the Troubles.
The WiI.z Trial.
MEXICAN AFFAIRS.
Another Version of the Troubles
The WiIz Trial.
Arguments for the Defence.



caused to be prepared an argument for tn,
defence, which was examined and revised by the
accused and submitted with his approval.
Capt. c. NJ. Self was recalled, and paper
shown him which he recognized as the hand
writing Of Robert Ould, endorsed by Genera
Ninder and Capt. Turner. Samuel F. Hunt
testified that he found the letter in the private
desk of Winder, Immediately after the fall OF
Richmond
Mr.. Baker asked to examine the paper.
| General Wallace said he understood that
Mr.. Baker had withdrawn from the case
Mr.. Baker said that such did not appear on
| the record. He had merely submitted the case.
| Several members of the court thought that the
counsel had Withdrawn. whilst others thought
he had merely rested the defence without with
drawing. Mr.. Baker was finally allowed to
proceed.
letter from Robert Ould. addressed to
Gen. Winder, dated City Point, March 18th,
1863. was then read. 1t called for all the mill
tary and political prisoners excepting officers,
he had and said that ''he arrangements
'rorked largely in Om .taror-,re get rid of a
set Of miserable cretches and receire some Of
the best material l ecer sdW." The argument
IN behalf of the accused was then read by one
Of the official reporters
Col. Chipman asked twenty-four hours to
prepare the closing argument. The Court then
adjourned until Faiday.
The following is the substance of the plea
made by the prisoner in his own behalf:
The accused says that he appears to put on
record his answer to the charges on which he
is arraigned and to protect and vindicate his
innocence. He was there to answer for all his
official and personal acts at Andersonville, and
if he could convince the Court that they had
been void Of offence before God and man he
trusted he would not be held responsible for
the official or personal misdeeds of Others He
would be judged by his own acts, and if they
had been such as to warrant his conviction on
any of the charges, let him be visited with pun
ishment commensurate with his offence He
did not ask mercy, but he demanded Justice.
In analyzing the evidence he would endeavor
to be simple and concise, and above all things
frank and truthful There were three distinct
parts in which the prosecution and defence are
necessarily comprised. These are: First-Had
he, as charged, maliciously, wilfuly and traitor
ously combined, confederated and conspired
with John II. Winder, and others, to inure the
health and destroy the lives of soldiers in the
military service of the United States
Second-Was he the person who was Off
cially responsible for the privations and suffer-
ings of the Federal prisoners of Anderson
Vile?
Third-Had he committed the crime of
murder, or perpetrated all or any of the atroci-
ties laid to his charge? As to the first, he was
not conscious of particle of testimony going
to substantiate the charge of conspiracy. Of
the one hundred and sixty witnesses who have
testified, no one ever heard him utter Il syllable
or do an act indicative ofhis knowledge of the
existence Of so hellish plot. Nor was there
the least scrap Of paper found in his office,
or a word in the archives of the Confederacy
which are grouped under the charge of con-
spiracy were literally true: there is not
shadow of evidence the suffering was the result
of a conspiracy.
itself did not believe in the existence of the
Confederacy, from the fact that the names of
Robert Z. Lee, James \. Seldom, Lucius
Northrop and DR.. Moore, who were indicted
with the accused when he was first arraigned,
had been stricken out. If the charge was
true now it was true then, and if there was
guilt anywhere it certainly lay more deep and
damning on the souls of those who held high
positions than of him who was mere subal-
tern officer. He believed that what the Judge
Advocate principally relied upon as proof of
the conspiracy was the confession attributed to
him (Wlrz), ''that he was of more service to
the Confederate Government than any regi-
ment in the 'front.' connected with equally
wicked and significant expressions attributed
to General Winder, General Cobb and Cap
tain w. G. Winder. As to the remark attr-
buted to himself, he would refer to that in
another part Of the defence.
General Windcr has gone to the great Judgment
seat. Howell Cobb not allowed to come here and
have an opportunity of contradcting the testimony
referring to him, the Judge Advocate thus virtually
admitting what was expected to be proved by him.
As to j. W. Wnder, he was under the jurisdiction of
the United States Government. Surely he (WirzJ
would not be held to answer for their rash and i'm
prudent expressions Furthermore if he, as Il Suba-
tern officer simply obeyed the legal orders of his su-
perior in the discharge of his official duties he could
not be held responsible for the motive which die
tated such orders, and if he overstepped them ana
violated the laws of war and outraged humanity he
should be tried and punished according to the nea
sure of his ofense lie further argued that from his
n AnuerSOnVillp He hob IL
Sponsbe for the crowded condition of the stockade
unwholesomc food &c., &c., and adduced the follow
ing reasons among Others viz: That he was not re.
spOnsbc for the selection of the location as it was
located by W. 5. Winder in 1863 while he Nirz) wa.
yet in Europe; that he did not assume command
until March, 1854; that Colonel Parsons one of the
principal witnesses for the prosecution testified that
the stockadc sufficiently large and properly loca
ted for the accommodation of ten thousand prisoners;
that Colonel Parsons testimony fully exoncratcd him
(Wirz) from completely in the selection of the loca-
ton and evercrowding of the stockade or a failure
to provide shelter for the prisoners; that Dr. Bats
cXonerated him from all blame on account of the
condition of things i'll the hospital and that this tes
timony was corroborated by DIR. Ray and that Col
D. S. Chandler, in his report to Richmond. never
once attached blame to Wirz for the condition of
affairs at Andersonville.
As to the third charge, that of murder he hoped
to be able to show the court that he not guilty,
and that he was not the monster he had been depict
cd but that on the contrary he did what little lay in
his power to diminish alleviate the mseres of the
prisoners. The specifications accused him of no less
than thirteen distinct crimes of the grade of murder
yet in no instance was the name of the regiment date
or circumstances stated in the specifications and in
the whole mass of the testimony there but two
cases of this character that could be fixed with any
dehneness, and in these two cases he was prepared
TO make his Defence
Inc two cases referred to the actual real
Oh the Chickamauga" and the mythical case de-
scrioed by the name of William Stewart" who it
was alleged was shot the gate near the dead house.
WIN regard to "Chickamauga" he would make the
| following correct statement:
On the evening referred to an officer went IN his
Wirz's) headquarters and said there was man in
the dead line Jawing the guard and creating great
deal of excitement. He rode to the stockode dis
mounted and went inside and asked "Cb;ckamanra ;,
in rough way, what in the hell he was doing tbor9
"Chickamauga" replied that he wanted 10 he killed
He CWrz) replied that if that was all he wanted b
could soon have it. He then drew his pistol to mo
mace 'Chickamauga,' and the latter became fright
ened and went outside the deadline. Wirz then or