Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-10-02
THE wIRZ TRIAL.
PROCEEDINGS TO-DAY.


To-day being the commencement OF the term
of the Court Of Claims, the room in which the
Wirz trial has been held, has been vacated by
the Commission, and this morning the trial was
resumed in the hall in rear Of the ladies gallery
of the Senate, lately used by the National Union
CommIttee, After the proceedings OF Saturday
mad been read, the prisoner, who looks consid-
erably better than be did lst week, was brought
in, and the witness who. vas on the stand on
Saturday, (Mr. W. y. HaYnmack) whose testi-
mony was not finished, resumed the stand and
was examined by Mr.. Baker. Witness had
seen Turner'S dogs; the common fox dogs; never
knew of the guards drawing axes from the
quartermaster. Witness knows that the guard
took axes away from the gate which were in
orders in relation to the dead line.
Witness knows that the stockade above
the brook was washed away about June.
Newly arrived prisoners We're not allowed to
leave the ranks, Had seen guards give them
water. All the prisoners Were sent in the
stockade first, including sick. There was an
order thai prohibited men being sent 70 hospital
until they were examined by surgeon. Stone
mans men were searched near Castle Reed
The guards frequently fired off their guns
during the, night. There was an order pro-
hibiting guns being fired, and they took ad-
vantage of the night. Wirz never went in TO
call the roll while witness was on duty under
HIM Some of the prisoners had watches, a
good many in the stockade. The Confederates
bought from the prisoners overcoats, pants,
shoes, DC. witness got suit of clothes in
July, 1865, when a lot of clothing came The
sergeants arms inside the stockade were navy
reyolycrs. Witness recollects a lot of sanitary
goods come to the stockade, and the paroled
prisoners he thought got one suit each.
Cross-examined by Col. Chpman.-Witness
arrived at AEdersonville Iith February, 1864,
assigned TO duty under Capt. Wirz July 10th
Witness was only on guard twice. Did not
know anything about the discipline of the
PRISON previous to the 10th of July Witness
had seen four or FIVE men who had been shot
carried out Witness thinks that Wirz name
was attached 10 the order to shoot any one
crossing the dead line. Witness usually spent
two hours in calling the roll, from to III
O'Clock. Saw but little about Virus quarters
Witness sometimes took the word Of the SER
geant of 90, that the squad was right when he
knew it was false. He did this because 1t
was disagreeable place. The place was
crowded and the weather was hot. Wit
ness never sInelt anything about the prison
if he did he did not know it. 1t was the ser
geant's duty to take the sick to the gate Wit
ness has heard men say that their sergeant lad
refused to take them to the sick call, and then
he would 60 to the Chief of Police and tell him
to attend to il. The sick call commenced a lit
tie after nine. Witness never lost any man eX-
cept one, a man named Streeter, and the first
thing he knew Streeter turned up on the outside
take the sergeant and put him in the stocks for
twenty -four hours. Witness put the sergeant
in the stocks, but let him out in about two
hours, because that he considered himself as
as the sergeant. Wirz never shot, beat,
kicked or abused prisoner. of war TO
that he had seen Wirz take hold of men; he
probably cursed them, because he generally
spoke short and was profane man. Witness
has taken eggs and onions to men who were
friends to him. Witness had received money
from the prisoners for vegetables. The sutler
charged very high for his commodities, and
witness sold to them cheaper than the sutler
did. All the sergeants did this secretly. Wit
ness made money out of il, and so did the
others. Witness could not say whether the
police kept the stockade clean in July and
n drant 1rrasa b.
ever had the rations stopped. Witness
thinks that sometimes the rations of some
of the squads Were stopped. On one
occasion one man informed of a tun-
nellng operation and his squad shaved his
head when their ratIons We're stopped. Wit
ness don't think the rations were stopped half
a dozen tunes. Witness saw one man who had
run away from the hospital bitten by the dogs
Confederate soldiers had been put in the stocks
and with a ball and chain. Saw one Confede-
crate soldier in the stocks a dozen times Some
times barrel would be placed over a mans
head. Wirz was absent from the last of July
to the last Of August, from duty. Davis during
this time was IN command. Witness could
not say that Wirz was not on duty during
August. There were from thirty-three TO
thirty-fye thousand prisoners there then
Wirz horse was ridden by Smith, Turner. and
Stafford, but neither of these could well be
taken for WirZ Witness never heard of man
getting furlough for shooting prisoner, but
had heard prisoners speaking Of getting fur.
loughs. Witness has seen Confederate soldiers
wearing Sanitary clothes; saw Duncan's squad
of paroled men signing for them; men inside of
the stockade were more in need of the clothes
than those outside.
At this period Judge Advocate Chapman
read an order from the War Department reliey-
ing General +. s. Bragg from duty on the Com
mission and asked asked f t p Fess6 81 n"
The Court replied that he could not ascer-
tain it. 1t was none of his business: he had
nothing to do with the orders of this Court
Mr.. Baker.-Cannot / address a few words
TO the Courtl
The Court.-No, sir; nor make a motion. Its
none of your business. Go on with your ex-
animation.