Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1867-04-19
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.


i Intending to leave the United States fol
some time feel it my duty before start tc
fulfill, in part, a promise, which, few hour
tefore his death, gave to my pnfortunat,
client, Captain Wirz, who was executed a
Washington, on the 10th day of November
1865 Protesting up to the last moment hi;
innocence Of those monstrous crimes with
which he was charged, he received my WORD
that, having failed to save him from a fel
on's doom, | would as long as l lived, dc
everything in my power to clear bis memo.
ry. did that the more readily, as wa:
then already perfectly convinced that he suf.
fered wrongfully. Since that time his un.
fortunate children, both here and in Europe,
have continually implored me to wipe ouI
the terrible stains which now cover the name
Of their father. Though times do not seem
propitious for obtaining full justice, yet, con-
sidering that man is mortal, | will, before
entering upon perilous voyage, perform my
duty TO those innocent orphans, and also tc
myself.
will now give brief statement of the
causes which led to the arrest and execution
of Captain Wirz. In April, 1865, President
johnson issued proclamation stating that,
from evidence in possession of the Bureau Of
Military Justice" it appeared that Jefferson
Davis was IMPLICATED in the assassination oi
Abraham Lincoln, and for that reason the
President offered reward Of 100000 On
the capture of the then fugitive ex-Presi-
dent of the Southern Confederacy. That
testimony has since been found entirely false
and mere fabrication, and the su6orner
Conovor, is now under sentence in the jail
of this city, the two perjurers whom he
suborned, having turned State evidence
against him, whilst the individual by whom
Conover was suborned has not yet been
brought to justice.
Certain high and influential enemies OF
Jefferson Davis either then already aware of
the character of the testimony of those wit
nesses, or not thinking their testimony quite
sufficient to hang jeff Davis, expected to fiud
the wanting material in the terrible mortal.
ty of. Union prisoners at Andersonville.-
Orders were issued accordingly to arrest a
subaltern officer, Captain Wirz; poor
iriendless, and wounded prisoner of war The
being included in the surrender of General
Johnston), and besides, foreigner by birth
On the 7th of May he was placed in the Old
Capitol prison at Washington. and from that
time the greater part of the Northern press
was busily engaged in forming the unfortu-
nate man in the eyes of the Northern peo-
pie into such monster that il became al
most impossible for him to obtain COUNSEL
Even his countryman, the Swiss Consul Gen.
eral, publicly refused to accept money to de-
fray the expenses of the trial He was
| ha l..
permission to be heard according to law was
denieu him. To increase the excitement and
give eclat to the proceeding, and to inhame
still more the public mind, the trial took
place under the very dome of the capitol OF
the nation. A Military Commission, presi-
ded over by one Of the most arbitrary and
despotic generals in the country, was FORM
ed, aud the paroled prisoner of war, his
wounds still open, and so feeble that he had
to recline, during the trial, on a sofa, carri-
ed before the same. How that trial was con.
Quoted, the whole world knows. The ene-
mics Of generosity and Of humanity believ.
ed it then 10 be a sure thing to get at jeff
Davis.
Therefore, the frs. charge was that of con.
spiracy between Wirz, Davis, Seddon, How.
ell Cobb, r. b. Winder, and q number o
Others to kill the Union prisoners. The tra
lasted for three months, but unfortunately
for the blood-thirsty instigators, not par$-
Gle of evidence was procured showing tn,
existence of such conspiracy; yet Captain
Wirz was found guilty of that charge l.
Having thus failed another effort was made
On the night before the execution of th,
Iprisoner a telegram was sent to the North
~ thnk
had mape importan, disclosures to Genera
l.. G. Baker, the well known detective, i'm
plcating JEFF. Davis, and that the confession
would probably be given to the public. Oh
the same evening some parties came to tn,
confessor of Wirz, Rev. Father Boyle, ant
also to me, one Of them informing me that
high cabinet officer wished to assure Wir
that it he would implicatc Jefferson Davi
with the atrocities committed at Anderson
vile his sentence would be commuted. He
the messenger, or whatever he was, request
; ed me to inform Wirz of this. In prcsenc
5 of Father Boyle, told Wirz next morning
what had happened. The Captain simpl,
and quietly replied:
"Mr. Schade, you know that I have al
ways told you that do not know anything
about jefferson Davis. He had no connec
ton with me as to what was done at Ander
sonville. If | knew anything Of him
would not become traitor against him o
anybody else, even to save my own life."
He likewise denied that he had made an,
statement Whatever 10 ueheral BAKER.
mus ended 'ne et,empt 70 suoorn oaP'al
Wira against 1en. DAVIS; inal Mone snow "
what man ne was, no" many o' ms .0 u'
iamers w0uiu nave zone Tue same VII
MS wounueu arm IN sing tue poor paroie
prisoner mouh'eu, TWO nours m.er, the sea-
loid' lis last words were ~ ,nat ne d'ea inhC
cent ana so ne uld; Inc lolh Gay
November, looo, wi'i inueea oe olae h,,