San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-20
wIRz OF ANDERsoNvILLE.
A Southern History Which Tries to
Make Him a Hero.

| a Southern History Wnich tries &c
Make Him a Hero.
| From the Richmond Dispatch.
It is somewhat remarkable that,
although several Histories of the
| United States,n such as those of A.
| HI, stevens, Eggleston, Barnes & Co.,
Derry, Holmes and Venable bring
their histories down through the
presidencies of Lincoln, johnson and
| Grant, they never mention the name
or the fate of Maj Henry WIZ Am
| pie historic material for this was In
existence, and his trial and execution
with the attendant facts constitute
very Impressive and sad passage In
the lite OF this couutry. But this cap
has been supplied in the students
History of the United States" by
Howison. which has just been puu-
| lished. On pages $50 and 1856 the
narrative appears. After q review of
| the treatment of prisoners of war and
vindication of the humanity of the
South on this subject, we have the
following:
"But the people of the North had
been wrought up to artificial excite.
ment and passion on this subject by
many agencies, chiefly the sensation
al reports and photographs of So
called sanitary committees They
clamored for q victim, and after the
surrenders OF the southern armies
one was found. He was Mai. Henry
Wirz, Of Swiss descent, who had been
the commandment of the prison camp
of Andersonville, Ga. After the as
sassination of Lincoln, Maj. Wirz was
brought to trial before court.martial
in Washington City, The trial lasted
three months. More than 100 wit
nesses were introduced before the
military commission; but there was
one witness who was not introduced.
This was Col. Robert Ould, the
Southern Commissioner of Exchange.
He was q material witness for WiIZ,
and by request of the accused was
regularly summoned TO appear and
testify. He attended accordingly.
His testimony, If heard and weighed,
would have been very important to
the accused; but without request or
consent of Wirz or his counsel, the
Judge Advocate revoked The gu bpoena
by which Col. Guild had been sum-
moned, and dismissed him from at
tendance. reference, Col. Guilds
statement, Southern Historical Pa.
pers, l., 2l2-2l3 Thus the prosecuJ-
ing powers deliberately suppressed
material testimony for a man tried
for his life. No valid precedent for
this can be found. The federal prose.
cutors strove earnestly in this trial
to find some evidence which would
involve President Davis in q charge
of completely in the cruelties said to
have been perpetrated at And ersOn-
vile, but in vain Not q shadow
Of suspicion was'shown against him.
Wirz was condemned to die. On the
night before his execution, persons
whose names have not been dlvulged
came to his confessor. Rev. Father
Boyle, and to his counsel. Mr.. Schade
| and informed each of them that q
high Cabinet officer wished to assure
Wirz that his sentence would be
committed If he would implicated
Jefferson Davis. The next morning.
Father Boyle and Mr.. Schade saw
Wirz. and he was told of this COM
| munication. He simply and quietly
replied. Mr.. Schade you know that
have always told you that I do not
know anything about Jefferson Davis.
He had no connection with me as to
what was done at Andersonville. /
wolld not become traitor against
him or anybody else, even to save my
life. lion. Benjamin HIPS State.
ment. Southern Historical Papers,
l., 2l9, DR.. Winder,s Paper, 220, 22l J
"Thus, with truth and firmness,
Henry Wirz met his fate. All the
known facts justify the belief that
his execution was murder committed
under the forms of military trial
in q period of great excitement, and
as an offering to appease intense and
morbid popular feeling. Such cases
have not been unknown in history
That of the British Admiral Byng
though entirely unlike in the charge
and the facts, was similar in the
spirit prompting it, but in Admin al
Byng's case no witness important to
the defense was dismissed by the
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