The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-31
The 4rsasoe wsrs.

- ne 11'tAt " W0f$s
WASHINGTON, Aug. 80.
The Commission reassembled this morning
Gen. Thonasy meinber Of the Court, said
that he understood that the prisoner had been
handcufed while in prison. He could see no
necessity for such. rigid treatment, especially
%. the prisoner lis always attended BY guards
Col. Chapman explained that the handcuf-
fling was at the instance of the counsel for the
accused, as on the day that his counsel deserted
him he SAID ne iwsqld enever again appear in
court, and as the prisoner seemed to mediate
suicide. - - - ~ *
Mi. Baker now saw no necessity for hand
cuifiins the prisoner, and presumed that the
continuance OF it arose from misapprehension
and would not berepeated from anything here
toiore said by the prisoners counsel. go.
COL Parsons, at one time commanding the
post at Andersonville, showed that Werz was
assigned to the post by Gen. Winder, and had
full control Of it. The witness had subse-
quently prayed the Judge in the neighborhood
abate the nuisance, but was obliged to aban-
don the case at the instance of Gen. Cobb,ad
On the cross-examination Col Parsons said
that the capacity Of the prison was for 10000
men. beyond that number no more ought to
have been placed on the ground. even after the
enlargement. Capt. Werz was not to blame
for the size Of the prison. One of his reasons
for desiring to- indite the prison as nuisance
was the almost insufferable stencil and filth in
part OF the grave yard. The green flies were
Almost as Fnlck as locusts. The great blunder
on the part OF the Confederate government
was in sending SO many prisoners there with
out preparation. sagbeI a7s suis ssoa@ seeff
Q.-Do you think some one or more individ-
uals We're responsible; if so,swhy were they?
Al think some of the high officials were re-
sponsible. sent communication to Gen.
Wtnder, saying that the prison was worked
beyond its capacity, but no attention was paid
to the rennonstrance. An order came from
Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General, ad-
dressed to Gen. Winder, the purport of which
was to organize a prison department. An Of
ficer was put in charge on the other side of
Fthe Mississippi, and Gen. Winder was put in
charge on this side No officer had a right to
interfere with him, and it was made the duty
of the commanders Of adjoining posts to fur
nish troops for the prison. Gen. Winder had
supreme control and dominion. read the
order, but do not recofect whether it was is
sued by the direction of President Davis or
not. 1t was, however, signed by Gen. Cooper.
There was not more than 5000 or 10000
troops when was there and the greatest
number Of prisoners from 1900 to 10000.
By Judge Advocate Chipman-T The dead
line originated after Werz took command of
the prison2sl a Il tn q 81 -
By Mr. Baker.-It was called and believed
ii prisoner went beyond it, he would be shot;
and there was no difference in the principle
between this and the Imaginary line Of a sem
unel. The reason for the dead line was to.
prevent prisoners from undermining and max
ing their escape.
James Van Valkenburg residing ten miles
from Macon, Ga, testified that the crops were
more than an average. In 1854 more plentiful
than in previous years, because no cotton was
planted. He believed that supplies for the ar
my were plenty in Georgia for the last two or
three years, although, in 1865, there was fall
Sergeant Boston Corbett was crogs -exannin-
ed without elicitihg anything new g1ilid
DR.. Cattline testified that he was for two
years in the Confedel ate army, and from Nav
to September last onjservice at AndersonviIle.
He saw Capt. Werz at the time the prisoners
were being removed, seize a man who had
fallen out OF the ranks, and strike him once or
twice. On another occasion, he -saw4a man
bitten by dogs. The man was in a. tree, and
was ordered to come down, when the dogs
seized him. Werz vas there at the time. =
Cross examined dot know that Capt.
Werz was to blame for the awful condition Of
the prison. Did not know that Werz waded
up to his kness in water to keep the dogs from
biting the man.. Did not see the prisoner
seize the dogs. The dogs were common fox
AnufeW y Spring, a prisoner at Anderson 4
vile, testified to the filthy condition Of the
place and the bad quality of food, some of
which was fnll ofmaggots. One of the pris-
oners asked WerZ to give him employment
outside, that he might draw an additional RAJ
ton. Werz replied TX on Cd id Yankee
son of b--h, If you don't go in I'll starye ey-
cry one of you to death p > This was a conn
mon mode Of reply to prisoners. On another
occasion he said to prisoner who had endeav-
ored toescape: iii you ever do that again Pll
shoot you, as sure as III go to hell, and know
| shah go there Witness saw man brought
in by dogs, attended by Wrez and Turner
He had seen men working in the. chain gang.
and one OF them was so reduced that he was
taken to the hospital, where, he died. :, Had ,
seen men In the stocks. About the 18th Of
May he saw a man shot from sentry box,
and Werz soon appeared, and drawing his re-
volver, swore he would kill every man who did
not get away from the gate. Another man
who was asleep rolled under the dead line and
was shot: He had seen one of our negro sol
refusing to work. he being sick, Witness said
the men of the Both Georgia regiment were
good Union men and friendly to our prisoners,
allowing things to be smuggled In. They told
him every sentinel who shot a man received
as reward furlough for thirty days. There
are members of the Georgia regiment in court
who can verify this assertion. Six OF eight
times he had been to the store-house, which
was 800 or 400 feet dong, and always found it
filed with supplies, two thirds Of which he
supposed was corn meal. There was at one
time about $4,000 prisoners, and from 500, to
2O00 Confederate troops there.
The court at, four o'clock adjourned until
Friday.