Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-10
XT FRA
Execution of Henry
Wirz.
The Andersonville Jailor Elk.
plates His Crimes on
the Gallows.

gcdy. That graceless wretch has paid the
penalty Of his crimes so far as this world is
concerned and has gone to render up his
account at another and infinitely higher tri-
bunal than civil court or military commission
on earth. lie was tried by a military court,
aud was therefore tried by his peers, for his
crimes were committed upon military men
while he was acting as a military officer
Consequently ho was more truly tried by his
peers than he would have been in the civil
tribunals.
All the evidence that could be summoned
for the defence was heard, while many of
the witnesses who might have testified to
his death dealing barbarities have passed
beyond the reach of earthly bailifs long
before he was arrested and tried.
lie was tried fairly by intelligent and
fair.minded men, who sat with patience
during the recitals of his cruel treat
ment of Union prisoners for weeks, and
then heard within patient attention all
that could be said in contradiction or ex.
tenuation of the facts alleged against him.
This court kept on, taking testimony, long
after the expression was universally uttered,
why go on any longer with these terrible
details Why do they not condemn the
wretch at once ?" But the commission con-
tinued its labors, until all the available tes-
timony for prosecution and defence had been
exhausted, and then they weighed carefully
all the facts adduced. The members Of this
court were perfectly competent to judge in
the matter. Some of them were lawyers,
and all were army officers who had seen
much service and knew how much weight to
attach to the fact that the criminal was in
fiuenced in the acts charged upon him by
the orders of his superiors.
After weighing carefully everything pre-
sented to them in the case, these men and
officers, on their oaths, adjudged HENRY
WRz guilty and worthy of death. The rec
ord of the proceedings was submitted to the
reviewing officer of the Government, to the
Secretary of War, and after all the sentence
was approved by the Commander-in. Chief,
the President OF the United States.
This was expected by all unbiased men
who had read the testimony. 1t was es-
pecially expected by those who had attended
upon the trial and heard the evidence in all
its force, some of them women whose sons
had died under WRz' cruel treatment at
Andersonville.
Yesterday and last night, WIRz busted
himself in making preparations for his Gp.
preaching end, writing letters and receiving
the ministrations of his spiritual advisers,
Fathers BOYLE and WHELAN. lie passed
the night composedly and exhibited in all
his last hours remarkable GOODNESS. This
morning at an early hour he received the
consultations of religion at the hands Of
Fathers BOYLE and WEICHERT. He re-
quested his spiritual advisers to send what
books there remained in his cell to his
children.
In allusion to his black dress, ho said to
Father BOYLE that he was sure that it would
be turned to white one in the other world.
He remarked that he was innocent, and that
he had but one death to die, and that he was
content
A parcel of letters and papers that
we're left in his cell were taken in charge by
one of his spiritual advisers Father BoYLE),
and it is understood that they will be sent to
his family.
This morning, at FIVE minutes to 10 o'clock,
wIRz affixed the following to the nutographiC
album of L. II. CHANDLER, chief clerk in
Provost Marshal RUssELL's Office:
II. WIRE, Captain and A. A. g., C. s. A.
} He wrote with firm hand, and said that
! was the last writing he would ever do in this
= world
. THE EXECUTION.
n The morning was bright with sunshine
r when the guards were paraded in the prisoI
yard of the Old Capitol, and those who had
boeu allowed passes began to assemble t
t witness the execution of the penalty of tn,
e law upon the Andersonyille murderer.
t Long before the hour of execution every
: available point of observation was occupied
e by spectators whose irrcpressible curiOsit.
> led them to climb the trees, fences, and thu
# roofs adjacent, wherever there was n chance
Q to see or hear the proceedings inside th
: prison yard. The trees on the eastern parl
e of the Capitol grounds were filed with sol
o diors, and many of the boys in blue oc
Il cupied the roof around the enclosure. Th
n guards in the prison yard were drawn up il
hollow square around the scafold, an,
about one hundred spectators, including mem
4 bers of the press, were gathered in groups il
9 tho area.
GARDNER, the photographer, was on han,
e with his apparatus, and several views wer
= taken during the proceedings. At thrteel
. minutes past ten o'clock the
+ PRISONER WAS LED FORTH,
accompanied by Fathers BOYLE and WEIGH
r ERT, one on either side He walked cree
and with firm step lie was dressed in
e long, loose robe of black cambric, and hi,
J. hand was hare His right arm vns sugrandsg