The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-07-16

lSlOulu nave tlle Sluic iatiOnS as Con
tolerate soldiers in the field.
Under the arrangement indicated
by these laws the prisoners were
comfortably and even generousl,
subsistcd Tor many months. The ar
arrangement was perfected not long
after the battle OF Manassas. Food
was then abundant in Richmond, and
the best beef sold at only eight cents
a pound. When supplies became
scarce when the foolish law author.
izing Impressments anti assigning
government prices" drove nearly
every producer from the market, it
became 4 matter of extreme difficulty
to iced the prisoners and divide
what could he obtained between their
necessities and those OF the Confed
crate troops in the field. The Com
missary OF Prisons, acting indepcnd-
entity OF Northrop, employed travel
ing agents To purchase supplies at
the best price, and never allowed his
solicitude for the unhappy men in
his charge 10 be impaired by de
mands in other departments of the
government. As evidence Of this
solIcitude, it may be mentioned that
in the winter of 1863, a memorable
season OF scarcity, 1T was proposed
to buy supplies Tor the prisoners in
some OF the upper counties of Nir-
gina, where Confederate money was
refused, and that to effect the humane
undertaking, General Lawton, then
Qaartermaster General, was willing
TO draw requitition for $50, goo i'll
gold.
But these purchases were defeated
by an Unforeseen interference Com
missary Northrop had opposed all
purchases of supplies outside of his
department; he complained that
Capt. Warner paid larger prices for
supplies than the government maxi
mum he insisted that as the first
care WIS to provide for troops in the
field, he should have the first option
of all marketable supplies and at
last lie assumed 10 Empress" the
Substance purchased for the prisoners
and to divert it to his own depart
ment. A fierce war was wa.pd
between him and Walker; rival
committees of investigation we're
raised in Congress, and the supplies
OF the Libby became bone of con
tention. On one occasion, Warmers
agents had brought down from
Augusta county n drove of one hun
dred and seventy-ive beeves, and
Northrop had periormeda a coup d etat
hy impressing them on the skirts Oi
Richmond. Not to he entirely out
done, Capt. Warner, in the winter of
1868, loaded sixty-three ears in
North Carolina with sweet potatoes.
brought them TO the Libby, pounded
them and then sifted them through
the wire nets he tore from the win
dows, and composed a curious bread
made OF equal measures Of mash Of
potatoes, Hour and corn meal. at
vas the best bread | ever ate," says
Capt Warner. But even this inven-
ton was spoiled by Norihrop He
had determined to take control of all
the subsistence of the Confederacy,
and 20 interdict all special purchases
for the consumption of prisoners
The first result was regulation
requiring the Commissary of Prisons
10 purchase from the Commissary
General and ultimately, in the
spring of 1854, law was pa&ed
virtually abolisbing the former oihte,
and transferring the subsistence of
prisoners to the tender mercies of
the man who had wished the thous
ands of them in Richmond at the
bottom of James River.
From this time whatever there was
of distress for food among the pris-
Oners is 10 he properly and distinctly
charged to one man in the Confed
eracy-Northrop. 1t is n pity that
this was not known when poor Wirz,
the miserable scapegoat of Confeder-
ate maiadmlnistratiOn, was sent to-
the gallows; +; and we may under
stand the remOrseful remark of the
judge advocate of the court that con-
demned him, when better acquainted
with the system under which the
Southern prisoners were managed
he is reported to have declared that
she had hung the wrong manr'
A few words of this tragic episode,
this fearful misadventure of Northern
vengeance, may properly be intro
duced here. Captain Wirz died an
innocent man. HIS history was one
of the most harmless we have ever
known. In 1861 he had come to
Richmond, private in company
from Louisiana, called the Madison
Infantry. He was detailed as a SEN
tinel at the Libby there his fidelity
and intelligence were noticed, and he
was promoted to a clerkship in the
prison. From this capacity he was
called to undertake slight
executive duties about the prison,
and for this obtained commission.
He acquired such reputation for lis
diligence and energy that when Sec
retary Mallory wished in 1868 a.
trusty agent to convey some ordi-
nance t. the coast of Louisiana,
Wirz was indicated to him as the
man of all others for a service so
When he had got the can
non by almost superhuman efforts to
the Mississippi river Gen. Pemberton
seized it, and Wirz returned disgust
ed to Richmond, and half resolved
to quit the service, from which he
had once before obtained iurlough
to recruit his health in Europe. Att
this time General Winder WAS estab-
fishing the prison at AndersOnvIlle
he had sent his son down, youth,
asslieutensnt to take
charge of il, but it was suggested
that an officer OF higher rank
and more experience should CO.
Capt. Wirz was urgently solicited to
the mission, and as warmly