Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-10-13
VOL. XXXII.
r,,.orv Given in the Trial Of wirz.


j. Everett Alden, witness on the part OF the pros
ecution, being duly sworn, was examined as 'o''o"s'
~. ,o As.;s,ant Tudge Adcocdte-Q. If you were
ng tl,r military service Of the United Staes state
~ ,hat regiment Al was formerly orderly SER
"eort m of Co +, 4th Vermont Volunteers.
Ie vnn were ever carried prisoner to Anderson
.,io s,ats when. Al was captured on the 23d OF
fa ,nd taken to Petersburgh, thence TO Richmond
there confined at Libby three o. tour days, ana from
there was taken to AndersonvUe' rr1,'eu .uete 'n
Can't Wirzs head quarters and there we were count
cd or into ninetes three OF which-2'o meh-coh-
stituted n detachment
Nv What was the condition of the sockade when
Won were put into it, regards the numoerot prison
I o., ,horo and its sanitary conditiouH Any de-
tochment was No. 107. think there were ron ~
0oo to 30 600 men there Mt that time Inc conulon
or Tho men was very bad some that saw were near,
i oL al some had but n pair Of Govt. drawers and
Lo, ,vere an emaciaed reduced in Hesh that thelr
bones nearly pierced their SKIM 90 ,r,,
Q-lIow was your supply OF wood A., hS e.',, ae
,ochment which I was in never drew any wood from
tho tmo we went there till sometime towards the last
of August. period oil from iour 10 SIN "eeNS'
should think. 49,, IL, ,; ,L.
Wy How aid YOU prepare them? A-Some ofthe
detachment drew n s,null piece Of wood, the wood
was issued to the detachment. 1t was subdlvided'
among the nineties, and then again sub divided in
small pieces among messes af thirty men each. Inc
wood being divided into thirty pieces the sergeant
having charge of the thirty would distribute II among
the men so that no could find fault with the
nnontitv each got. The piece for each man was IN
thickness and length about the size OF my arm and
it was to last for three days.
O-How did YOU cook your rntions at that timer a.
Men who drew wood would cook theirs and MS soon
as thev got through, others would use the GOALS and
bv blowing them they could partly cook the meal
which was issued to them, and could warm the meat
Odd You ever men digging for roots with
which TO cook their ritions? A-Ies, sir; it was a
common thing, they mostly dug for them in the
swamp on each side Of tile creek, the norm s'de
more particularly, as that was the WIDER Wngn II
rained the matter from the camps would wash down
into the swamp and it was filed with maggots they
must have been from 10 TO 20 inches deep; the men
were obliged to go down there and dig in that swamp
| TO get roots which they would dry in the sun
O-Dd you ever dead men about there? II so
how frequently? A.-Amost every morning when
went to the creek after water, would see from one
| to four dead bodies lying the banks OF the creek
entirely Naked stripped of their clothing; as the 9th
or prisoners as soon as a man died, would take the
opportunity to appropriate his clothing, as they need
| ed it.
who had been killed. or who had died? Al should
| think they were men who had died from starvation;
| they were very poor in flesh.
| O.-Do YOU know anything as to how sick men
were treated there by the doctors? A-Yes, sir, it
was my duty at seven o'clock each morning TO call
the sick, and imme lately after roll-call, to have
them all fall in and march up to SICK call AT the
South gate. Sometimes three or four thousand prs
oners would collect around this gate to gain admls-
sion outside There was very small space to pass
through at the gate, and when there were so many
prisoners there-over 30000-two sentlnes were or
dered inside to prevent the crowd from getting close
to the gate, the dead-line; and those who went
out were admitted in one rank. Each sergeant would
call his men, and march them out through the gate.
When they got outside there 10 TO twenty doc
tors in stalls; each doctor attended to certain num-
Der Of lctachmens. | have taken men out to the
stall of doctor, named Williams think, and have
seen men crawl up there on their hands and knees,
in than IN tn tha
plead to be either taken out to the Hospital or to
have proper medicine given them, something by
which thev could be relieved of their distress. Those
men the doctor woud order to be taken back into the
stocknde as they could probably live till tomorrow.
| O-Woud he use those words? Ale would
saw "Take him back into the sockade, he will live
until tomorrow.
Q.--Have you any recollection of the number of
men whom You knew to be shot by sentnels, while
you We're there? Al have memorandum which
| made at the time.
| O. Do You remember the number aside from the
memorandum? A.-les, sir; there were
Q-Can YOU state the particulars without reference
to the memorandum? Al can as to two of them.
| lido not think can as to all the rest.
Q.-Refreshing your memory bv your memoran
DUN if necessary describe the different cases in the
order Of their dates with the circumstances Of each
case A.-On July %, 1864, there was man killed.
Q.-Do you know his name? A.-No, sir.
Q.-Or his regiment2 A.-No, sir.
q do you know where he was sha? A.-Yes,
sir; through the groin.
stantly; he was taken outside to the hospital.
Q.-Do you know who shot him? A-The guard
shot him.
Q--Dc you know whether he was over the dead
line not? Ale
! Q-Do you know what circumstances led him
over2 A-Ies, sir he was sergeant and he was
anxious to get outside with his men. as he had some
who were very badly off. He wanted to be the first
to get outside to the door, and he crowded up. The
sentinels repeatedly told him to keep back. A SER
geant came up to the gate with whom he was
acquainted, and he motioned to him il he could come
out. The sergeant beckoned to him to come out, but
the guard did NOT notice it, The man crowded past
and the guard raised his gun; he could not lift it high
enough to shoot them through the body, but he shot
him through the groin. did not see the after
wards--he was Il sergeant in charge of a squad. |
do not know his name regiment-I must have been
some eight feet from him.
Q.-Was Capt. Wirz present at that time? A.
He was not, at least did not see him.
Q.-When was the next instance? A-July 26th.
Q.-Where was that man shot? Al cannot tel
Q.-Was he shot inside the stockade? A.-Yes
sir, by sentinel
Q.-State the next instance? A.-On the 4th OF
August two men were shot.
Q.-Do you know where they were shot? A-No
sir.
Q.-Do you know their names2 A-No, sir
Q.-Were they shot inside the stockade? A.-Yes
sir.
Q.-Mention the next instance of shooting? A.
4 The next on the 9th of August.
Q.-Do you know who the man was who was thel
e shot? Al do not.
:, Q.-Do You know whether any of the others excep
a the first one You have mentioned died? Al do no
Il II merely made a memorandum at the time tn
II event occurred.
i Q.-uive the next instance? A.-That was on tn
l. 2sth OF August. | saw that man. The camp was n
IS quet it was in the evening, very bright moonshin
night between the hours Of ten and twelve heard
! musket fred. ! spoke TO the man living alongside
y me and said there is man shot, and am going
see who it is. arose and when got three or tor
rods several Others joined us and moved towards III
l. dead line-l was abont a hundred yards from II
dead line at that time, and was looking towards tn
sentinel He raised his gun and shot again that III
second shot at the same man. suppose, got dow
where could see, u third shot was fired. The ma
a. was inside the dead line, up close to it, and the wore
d he used were see if YOU kill me now p
should think by the conversation that the officer Of ii
guard was in the sentry-boX too. The man was sh
through the head, the ball passing enghwise Of h
s. body. inquired around there who the man an
:, they said he man who was tired of living, al
~ wanted the sentinel to shoot him.
A., Q.@Dd moro than Of the balls take effect
y Al think he was shot insthe leg by the first di
ID charged.
Odd the last ball prove fatal? A.--Yes, sir
Q.-How soon did the man dep AIN the cOur
tSS of ten minutes.
N Q.-Did you know his name? A.-No, sir.
= Q.-Nor regimentf A.-No, sir.
ON what part of the stockade was il? Al
- north end of the stockade. The creek does not ri
exactly in the centre of the camp. 1t was in the Ia
ger part of the stuckade towards the end-ubout Il
middle of the st?ukade. find also that one man W
r shot on the 9th of September do not know any
the circumstance
Q.--At what other dates were men shot? Az
es Jan. lst 1860 saw man that was shot | saw hi
%. e. after he was dead.