Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-10-06
Trial Of Henry Wirx.

2 AT1dA OF x10uTy WIZ.
/. Wirs Responsibility for the Su6er;ngs il
2 the .Stockadc-1 remarkable Scene IL
Court.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.
, DR.. Hopkins, appointed in July, 1854,
:. with Surgeon White, to examine Ander.
sonvillc prison, produced letter to Gen.
Winder. in which he reported the causes
of the disease and mortality Of large mum
: Der of the prisoners to be the entire abb
9 sence of vegetables, want of barracks, in.
. adequate supply of wood and water, bad.
ly cooked food, filthy condition of the pris-
oners and morbid eXhalations from the ra-
vine, and recommended the immediate re-
moval Of 1900 prisoners to cultivate
vegetables, immediate erection of barracks
the furnishing of necessary wood, and
, have wells dug, to divide the prisoners in
to squads, each under sergeant, to be
furnished with soap, to furnish the prison.
ers with clothing, and, if unable to do this
to notify the Federal government, daily
inspection of the bake-house and cookery,
to cover with sand the mOrass, and adopt
0tlier sanitary measures. He also made
sundry recommendations to improve the
hospital arrangements, which were greatly
inadequate. Witness testified that he sub
mitted tile report to Surgeon White, who
said it was truthful, and he would sign and
transmit it to Gen. Winder; but he did
not sign 1t, and witness did not know
whether anything had been done to carry
out the suggestions.
Judge Advocate Chapman then submifa
ted the general order Of Gen. Winder and
DR.. Hopkins to show that the Richmond
authorities knew of the condition of the
Andersonville prison, and that Winder
had authority to apply remedy.
On DR.. Hopkins cross-examination he
said it was Winder's implicit confidence in
Wirz that caused the state Of things tO
exist.
DR.. Rice, on duty at Andersonville, also
testified to the horrible condition of the
stockade, corroborating previous testi-
mOny.
At the close of the proceedings a re-
markable scene took place. The witness
named George w. Gray. had been testi-
of Wirz that had not been put in evidence
before. He said that party of prisoners
in whose company he arrived at Ander-
sOnville were told to put their blaDkets,hav-
ersachs, knapsacks, &C.. in one place,
when an officer mounted on a grey horse
rode up and told the confederate soldiers
to help themselves and let the prisoners
have the remainder. The eOnfederates
helped themselves and there was nothing
left. He was not certain whether the
mounted officer was Captain Wirz or not.
In June or July, 1864, the witness and
young man named Underwood, of the
18th Indiana Cavalry (his own regiment)
went to the suffers tent. Wirz was there.
Underwood asked for something to rub
his wound with, and the sutler said he
would give it, when Wirz said, .' No, he
cannot have it unless he pays me a dollar"
Underwood gave Wirz his only money.
which was a ten dollar bill, and when he
asked for his change Wirz kicked him out
of the door. Witness was put in the
stocks four days for attempting to escape.
He knew man to die in the stocks in
August or September, 1864. Negroes
took him out of the stocks after he was
dead, threw the body into a wagon, and
hauled it off. He knew Wirz to shoot
young fellow named Will Stewart belong
ing to tile 9th Minnesota Infantry. He
and witness had gone out of the stockade
with dead body which they had begged.
when they met Capt. Wirz. He rode up
to them after they had left the body in tha
dead -hOusp and asked them nv what M.
tboritv thrv We're ont there. Stewart 70.
nle5 That fber ware ,bora hy nronar M
thoritv' Wiz said M morc hit frew hi.
revolver and shot him. After he WAS
|Lilled the rnards tools from his bodv SS1
or S3O. Wirz took tho money from the
guards and rode off, telling them to carry
witness to prison. 1t was witness inten-
,;nr to escana If ba coulI and Cor that
reason he had rone ont. but he was not at
tonnt;nr to do 80 of tho time When
nr;spners were b,.;nc remov.d to the ears
tor exchange. Wirz gave orders tn Lient.
Davis tn Lavonet an7 man who laid down
an ,ho rooI and w;tness had seen men who
ware crawl;pr on tbn;r hands and knees tn
the cars havonct,d NV the gnards. wit
ness heard one of the Surgeons ask Wir.
, If he was roinp to remove Yankees. and
W;rz.S renlv Vas q In these Yankccs
thev will iii he dead in few davs anv
Lnw" Ur had seen a nris,ner who had
, been caurht bv docs. with n mart Of hi.
E cherl tnr7. ofI' and hs arms. hands and
i,~s ~nawcd m So that he only lived SI
h6nrs Thc first time he had known Wirz
personally was one day when he heard
;ut Dnv;s call his name Mt the gate
JuJce Advocate Cbinman-Capt. Wirz.
will Won he rooI eaourh to stand mn
Tie nrisoner. who had been living all
J,v ~, !, lonurn snn;rmed rounj' nartlv
r.is;n,, himself till lis ewes III mn with y