Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-16
SECRET HISTORY.
The Trial of Captain Wirz, of the Ander-
sonville PrisOn-Father Hamilton's
Strange Story of How Wirz Was
Sacrificed by Secretary of War Stan


Inc Irlal OF captain W 1rZs OF the Ander-
sOnville PrisOn-Father HamiIton's
Strange Story of How Wirz Was
Sacrificed by Secretary of War Stan
ton.
Louisville (kg.) Special to v. y. Times. oct. IS.
The Rev. William John Hamilton. Rec
tor of the Cathedral at Mobile. Ala, who
was one of the four priests admitted to
the stockade at Andersonville prison to
minister to dying soldiers. is in Louisville
visiting Bishop McClOskey. Father
Hamilton was one of Virus witnesses
during the trial in November, 1865, and he
related to-day some of the secret history
of the trial that has never before been
heard Father Hamilton. who is a be-
nevOlent-looking man of 30, was con-
stantly at AndersOnville after the carni-
val of death commenced, and while he
admits the horrors and cruelties, he de-
fends Wirz, who, heesays, was the most
humane keeper of a prison he ever met,
and was constantly assisting in acts of
charity which would have sent him to the
front if discovered by his superiors.
sit is true" said Father Hamilton,
THAT the sufferings among prisoners were
terrible, but WirZ, poor fellow, was no
more responsible than l, and so when he
was arraigned in August, 1865, | went on
to Washington to do what j could in his
behalf. During the trial Captain Wirz
was suffering from various diseases and
wounds, and he was carried to and from
the court room by four marines. A med
ical commission had been appointed to
examine WirZ, and this examination re-
suited in the conclusion that he could not
possibly live longer than two months at
the furthest. This information | obtained
through friend, and | felt it my duty to
impart it to WirZ that he might prepare
himself for the next world. This was
about two weeks before the end of his
trial. He received the information calm
ly, and then made request of me which
| shall never forget. He said he realized
that his conviction and condemnation to
death was a f0regOne conclusion, and that
he had no reason to think otherwise. /
agreed with HIM that on account of the
feeling existing in the North he would
certainly be condemned to death. He then
requested me to call upon Secretary Stan
ton and say that he was willing to plead
guilty to the charges, provided that in
fixing the punishment the commission
"Ould set date for the hanging far
enough in the future to afford him an Op-
portunity of preparing himself for death,
and of his probably dying a natural death
before the day fixed.
81 called upon Secretary Stanton and
laid Wirz's proposition before him, and
made personal request myself that it be
accepted. Mr.. Stanton thought favOrably
of it, and said he thought the rest of the
Cabinet would have no hesitancy in ac-
cepting it. He said there was to be
Cabinet council that day at l O'Clock, and
that he would lay the matter before the
Cabint and would inform me later in the
day what action had been taken in the
premises. After the meeting | called
upon him, when he informed me that the
other members had refused to listen to
any such proposition as that made by
WirZ. l asked him what reasons they
gave, and he made this reply will never
forget it: The people of the North demand
the blood of some one for the cruelties
practiced at AndersOnvilie. WirZ has
only two months to live. Let's take this
man and shed his blood, and by doing so,
we spare the life of a better man. and
then he mentioned the names of three men
Lee, Davis. and Stephens, of Georgia.
| saw that there was nothing more to
be done, and | communicated the fact to
WirZ, who began preparing himself to
meet his Maker. In less than two weeks
he had been convicted, was sentenced No
Yember 8, and hanged next day. | felt
that Wirz had simply suffered for others,
and he knew it, but he died without
murmur, save at the ignOminy of the
means. Impressed with this belief, when
| met President Johnson, a short time
afterward, l alluded to Virus PROPOSE
tion to Stanton, and asked him, for my
own satisfaction, why the Cabinet had
not favored it as did Secretary Stanton.
Mr.. Johnson's reply was most startling
and surprising to me. What said he,
stanton in favor of the proposition ? and
he seemed greatly astonished. why,
Stanton was the only member Of the Cabi-
net opposed to it. The rest of the Cabi-
net favored it, and were about to accept
it, when Stanton threatened to resign if
the proposition was entertained for no.
ment. Mr.. Stanton's services could not
well be dispensed with, and rather than
have him resign we allowed the matter to
DROP"
"Did your interest in Virus case end
here?' was asked of Father Hamilton.
''NOt my interest, but my inquiries did.
The times were trOublOus, and the terrOrs
of AndersOnville We're too Odious at the
North to render prudent or possible any
righting of the wrong. | have never said
anything of this, except cOnfidentially to
one or two friends, but l will say now
that Wlrz was sacrificed, and that he
died to save one of the leaders of the Con-
federacy.
The Hon. James Speed, Attorney Gen
eral at the time of Wirz's trial, says he
never heard of the proposition described
by Hamilton. lie says, however, there
were several Cabinet meetings at that
period at which he was not present. He
does not believe the story.