Daily national Republican., 1865-09-30
SATURDAY, Sept. 80, 1865.
UNITED STATES MILITARY COMMISSION
GBN. LEW. WALLACE, President.
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Question by Mr.. Baker: Did you hear Captain
Wrz complain Of tho bad condition Of the afairsy
Judge Advocate Chipman objected to any deela-
rations made by the prisoner The court had
l rulei on that point.
| Mr.. Baker said he did not ask for the deelara-
| tiOns of Wirz, but his acts.
Col. Chapman stated that the counsel had asked
about complaints.
| Mr. Baker said It was competent, according TO
rules OF law, to show the kindly disposition Of
the accused In order to refute the allegation that
he willfully and maliciously maltreated the prs-
| onors.
The Court replied that they had overruled such
questions.
accompanied his complaints by acts, to anchor
| ute the condition Of the prisoners.
Mr.. b. then asked Do you know Of any acts
on the part OF Captain Wirz to amelorate the con-
| dtion OF the prisoners
Witness could not remember any such acts.
| Knew Of boxes arriving at Andersonville. Some
| OF them were empty-had be robbed the con-
tents OF some had spoiled. They were opened
| and examined by the quartermaster who had
| charge Of the cook-bouse. The guard force ut
| first consisted Of witness regiment only. twas
| afterwards increased to ], 800. There was much
| complaint among the officers and men on account
| Of their duties being too heavy. Never knew Of
| guard getting furlough for shooting Union
| soldiers. Knew Of one prisoner who was buried
| with Masonic honors.
not remember at what time knew that WirE was
| crippled In his left arm. Lieut. Davis was In
| charge when Capt Wlrz was Sick he was on
Gen. winder's staff. In September, when wirz
was feeble, he would go home about three or four
| o clock, The order to move the hospital out of
the stockade came from Richmond. After the
| hospital was moved out there were boards Of
| survey there, and they condemned provisions.
| Question by Mr.. Baker: Did you ever hear
Capt Wirz complain about the bad quality of the
provisons2
objected to, as being against the rulings Of the
| Court
The condition OF the quartermaster's depart
| ment, when witness left, was unimproved. Wit
ness made some exertions, but could not i'm
prove It,
Question by Mr.. Baker: In your opinion was
Capt. wirz to blame for the shortening Of the
| ratiOns9
objected to by Judge Advocate, and obj ectoh
Witness did not remember having seen but one
chain gang. The weakest part Of the stockade
was where the brook passed through. Had
known II to be washed down. During the sum.
mer wirz was dressed in white pants, and in his
| shirt sleeves. Had seen prisoners arrive there
from Belle Isle. They were very much emacl-
ated and poorly clad. Thought some died very
soon after they arrived there Some Of them had
| nothing but what they had on their backs. Never
saw Wirz take anything away from any but
| stoneman = men. These men wero searched near
Castle Reed; two or three hundred yards from
wirZ's headquarters.
The prisoners used to trade with the guard Of
the 65th Georgia regiment. The members Of that
regiment would get near each other on post, so
They could then trade without any interference
| from the reserves. In December or January a
| supply Of shoes was sent by the Confederate Gov
| ernineut for the troops doing guard duty. Turner
| applied to witness to be paid for the use Of his
hounds. Witness refused to pay him. He then
went to the commander Of the post, and he de-
| clded that he was mot entitled to pay. being
detailed man. Il. b. Winder and Capt Reed
| left Audersonville about September, 1854. Capt.
WirZ signed orders for transportation as Adju.
tant General OF Gen. Winder.
Cross examined: Witness knew nothing about
the rigors Wirz imposed on the prison camp)only
what he heard. Witness knew very little about
what wirz did inside the stOckade, or how he
treated prisoners Knew that wirz had prison
| to catch prisoners with the dogs 1t was gener-
ally known that was his business. winder
turned over to witness about l2j, 900 feet Of lum
Der. When he loft wtners built hospitals with
| 1t. The lumber had been laying there, and the
| prisoners were suffering for shelter. Knew that
Wirz put prisoners in the stocks and in the chain
gang. Turner, who had charge Of the dogs, told
witness that Capt WirZ had promised him $50
| for every prisoner caught Witness refused to
| pay him. not believing he was entitled 10 It,
| WirZ had an ambulance for his use when he was
sick There has been only two ambulances at
| the post
By Mr.. Baker: Never knew OF Captain wirz
| shooting or killing man He rode grey mare.
JUDGE HALL
recalled, testified that he resided In the State Of
Georgia In the summer Of 1864. He was EN- ployed
| to attend matters of litigation In which the State
| was interested. Witness was employed to rep
resent Capt. Wright aud Col. Gibbs in a bill
| brought by man named Dykes, in which he
sought to obtain an In junction against them pro-
| hibting them from cutting wood from his land
| and using 1t as u burial ground. The manner im
| which the dead were buried was offensive.
Witness had proof that the burial ground In
which the prisoners were buried had been used
as a burial ground before the stockado was
| tablished Witness answered the bill aud the
hraring was postponed, pending which Dykes
withdrew the bill.
The officers Of the post-wirz among the nun.
ber-urged witness to have the Government pay
| the men and let Col. Gibbs and Capt. Wright go
| on getting the wood General Winder made au
| appeal, making certain propositions to the plan
| ters they sent forward the negroes, tools, and
teams. Witness know Of no authority that WlrL
| had to impress negroes, unless II had been con-
| ferred upon him by the authorities Of Richmond.
| The Supreme Court Of the State VI Georgia de-
| cided that compelling party to dispose Of his
| property at the value fixed by the Confederate
| commissioners was unconstitutional. The crop
| in 1864 was short, There was an appeal made to
| send vegetables to JOhnstOn's army, aud 1t was
with great difficulty they could be procured.
| Does not know to what extent Johnston was sup
| piled.
The land around Andersonville was barren
| Thought itwOuld take ten acres fthe land around
AnderSOnvile to raise q bale OF cotton. The chief
| value Of the land around Andersonville consists
| Of timber Knew nothing about the mills around
| Andcrsonyille, Witness resided ten miles from
there. Four mills were In his neighbOThOOd.
| There was u Confederate States law making it a
fine aud penitentiary offence for any person to
circulate greenbsoks or deal in money of the
| United States.
Witness had prosecuted persons-oficers, cit-
| IONS, and soldieTs--for violating that law. Capt
| Wirz once applied to witness to have him prose
cute some men who had been appropriating pro-
visions and things OF that sort belonging to pris
unors He took out a search warrant to hnd the
stolen property, but thought the process was M
successful The first time witness ever saw WirZ
was in the month Of August he then looked rs II
| he had been sick A statute Of the State Of GoOT-
gia provides that dogs may be used for tracking
| fulnns and negroes.
| Col Chapman objected. He would not allow
| Fcdcral prisoners Of war-soldiers who had per
lied their lives for their oOuntry-tO be placed
| the same footing with foons and negroes.
| The counsel desired to show that WirE was
Justified In hunting prisoners with dogs, by the
| laws Of the State OF Georgia,
| Mr.. Baker said he would show that these pco.
pie were commanded by their officers aud were
| bound by the law to do such things as they were
ordered, The tracking Of human beings was arst
authorized by laws Of the United States,
The Court sustained the objection.