The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-11
Saturday Nights Report.
WIRz' TRIAL.

NEW YORK, September 9.
More documentary evidence was submit.
mitted to-day. A letter from Acting Ad-
jutant General and Inspector General D.
T. Chandler to Assistant Adjltant and In
spector General Colonel Z. II. Chiffon, was
first presented. In it he applauds the ad-
mipistration of Captain WiIz for his untir.
ing energy and general competency. and
suggests the removal of Brigadier General
Winder, and the substitution of 9 man of
good Judgment and humanity.
Colonel Chandler was then sworn. He
had no retraction to make of anything in
his report. He had had conversations with
Winder about the bad condition Of the
prison. Winder said it would be better to
let half of the prisoners die so they could
take care of the remainder. Winder told
other people SO.
At the afternoon session, John Payne,
of the naval service, testified to man dy-
ing in the chain gang. He was told by
rebel officer that for every Yankee he shot
he received thirty days furlough and three
months extra wages. .rs.loH
j. A. Marshall, of the AID New York,
testified that he knew of man who died
from the effects of dog bites. fs
VIM. NJ Fable, of South Western Geor-
gia, who was detailed as clerk to Colonel
Forno, 6 rebel officer in command, testified
that while riding out he saw 9 man in the
stocks who he thought would drown, as 9
heavy rain was falling on his face. Wit
ness held his umbrella over him for while
and then went to Captain Wirz to express
his apprehension. Wnz said "let the
the damned Yankee drown. In few
minutes thereafter, however, an officer was
sent from Captain Wirz's headquarters
who took the man out Of the stocks. The
crops were not as good in 1854 as In the
year Lefore, but the farmers had q surplus.
w. w. Crandsll, of the 4th Iowa, testi-
fed to 8 man being badly bitten IN the
calves of the legs by the dogs, and soon
thereafter fastened at each ankle with
chain and ball, the man being kept in this
condition for several weeks. Witness went
to Captain Wirz and pleaded for the re-
lease of the prisoner but Wirz said he
could not do it; the legs were swollen and
had q purified look. A rebel surgeon
being appealed to said he could not con-
scientiously take off more than one chain,
which he did. The man finally died. Wit
ness, as one of the detailed sections, helped
to bury thirty or forty of the men who
had been shot. During the time General
Sherman was marching from Atlanta 10
the coast, the prisoners were, of course,
very anxious to hear the news. A report
came that Sherman, his staff and fifteen
thousand prisoners had been captured.
Capt. Wirz said he hoped this news was
true, and that if the prisoners were sent
there he could take care Of more damned
Yankees than any four regiments In the
field. On one occasion q barrel Of rotten
psrk was sent to the Commissary's Office to
be used by the Yankees. Witness was
employed in the Office. The next day he
had orders to weigh out the same number
of pounds of beef and turn it over to Capt
Wirz, who wanted the best Il was for
his own eating, He knew the pork came
from Capt. Wirz's headquarters. Prisoners
who had money could procure food,
Cross. examined by Mr.. Baker.-The
dead were buried by Union prisoners
under the superintendence of rebel Ser
geant. The bodies were not treated inde-
Gently excepting that they were carted like
logs Of wood in order to get full load,
as there was only one wagon, and the