The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-08-31
Personal Experiences with Captain
wIRz AT ANDERsoNvILLE.


EDS. CoN.-I have read your dis
patches in regard to the Wirs trial,
and also your letters from Anderson
vile prisoners, with intense interest.
The disloyal portion Of the public
appear to swallow very readily the
statements ofsomc Of your correspond
ents, who endeavor TO exonerate Cap
tain Wirz, and represent him as very
gentlemanly officer Of tho defunct Q.
g. A., very human in his treatmet of
Federal prisoners. Now / believe /
know Captain Wirz as we'll as any
other man who run his chances at
Andersonville, (pretty slim chances
they were, too,) without asking or re-
ceiving favors from Captain Wirz or
any other rebel. Having escaped from
that prison three times; was recaptur-
ed with blood-houn6s, placed in the
stocks twice; and wore 56-pound
ball and chain once for tbe crime Of
attempting to escape. He also threat
ened to hang, shoot and otherwise
subject me to treatment unheard of in
civilized warfare, and exhausted his
vocabulary of epithets upon me, both
Dutch and English, } and pronounce
any man, who tries to justify him, or
palate his crimes, through such, state
ments, liar a traitor at heart, and
unworthy to have worn the United
States upiform, but a fit representa-
tive Of any Of the following classes Of
Andcrsonville prisoners--robbers and
mmderers, who escaped hanging, Pete
Miller's camp police, who deserved
hanging; (Pete Miller was Chief Of
Police in October, 1861 or fawning
towards, without courage TO brave
the horrors Of that slaughter per,
: who begged Of Captain Wirz parole,
or detail to cork for the rebels, and
who will forever be despised by every
lltrue loyal man, who suffered impris.
onment there. Thank God, there are
thousands still living, through the
mercy of Divine Providence (no
thanks to Captasn Wirz. though, } who
are ready and willing to testify to hi'
deep and damnable crimes, and thous
ands of silent witnesses lying, hal
buried, in tho sands of Georgia, vic
Tins Of his studied system Of murder
the very fact OF which is testimony
unimpcachable. Too well do i re-
member the hoart-rending scenes ]
witnessed there. How my comrades
died, one by one, until 1 alone, o
: seven of my company captured will
, me, remained to tell of our sufferings
My mind often revcrts to those scene,
. of horror and the dying words Of M!
: comrades, which were often Of
0 character to make the stoutest hear
4 sink. l shall never forget the las
words of Ambrose Ladue, the last on,
> of my comrades. A few hours befor
his death he called me to him an'
$ said, "George, if God in his mere,
] permits you to live to reach our lines
a tell the boys and my mother that
0 died true to my country. When
$ am gone you will be the only one o
= the boys left, and / want you to hav,
my ifyhB-pah anu tih CuP a.
Y then remained silent for few mo
. ments, with tear coursing down hi
! check, which he wiped away, and re
r marked that tears were Of no avail
that if we have to die, let US die lik,
men. Is it any wonder that the sur
vivors, with such scenes fresh in theil
memories, and with any love of coun'
try and justice in their hearts, should
J rejoice that there is prospect Of th'
! perpetrator Of such foul deeds o
D murder being brought TO justice 1
0 ever criminal deserved hanging, Cap
. tain Henry Wirz certainly does, an,
Q if Justice is moted out to him he vii
. be hung. So his friends had bette
!, spend their money to provide them
0 selves with Grape, than to pay 1t :
: weak-minded Audersonville prisoner
I for writing statements to create
h sympathy in his favor. Yours respect
8 fully. lgFt 51-t ~ 4t.o.,l
Gro. w. M. VANpEoRIPr.
4 RpLEY ONO. 1865. s-cl