Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-04-06
The Ghost Of Captain Wirz, Like
BanQuO's, Will Not Down.
he WAS EXECUTED FOR
Alleged Cruelty to Union Soldiers
At AndersonvilIe-. Complete His
tory Shows He Lost His Life for
Refusing to Swear to a Lie.

, 1t is known to many of the older re,
dents of Capitol Hill, in Washingto
, that the more ignorant of the colort
population have an aversion to pas
ing the building once famous as tt
"Old Capitol Prison." after dark. TT
few who have taken the trouble to il
, qulre into the reason for this will te
you that it is because of Captain Wir
. "hant." 1t may be imagined tha
this class of colored people have yer
hazy idea as to who Captain Wirz wa
and what position he occupied in th
world. 1t is sufficient for them t
know that "Wirz" was the 1ncarna
tlon OF all evil; that he was hanged il
the back yard of the old building; an,
that it is better not to take chances O,
seeing his ghost of dark night. Th,
building referred to has a considerabl,
degree of historical Importance. L
was here that the government of thu
| United States of America conferred at.
ter The burning of the Capitol by the
British during the war of 1872. It was
in this building that John G. Calhoun
died, and in it Justice Field resided
or rather in part of it, for it has since
oeen divided into three private resi-.
dences. For considerable time dur.
Ing the Civil War, it was used as a
prison; and it was about on the spot
now occupied by the late Mr.. Fields
library that Henry Wirz was hanged,
at 1890 a. m., November 10th, 1865.
The War Department has had in prep
aratlon for some time, and is now
about to issue, an official report of this
trial; which at the time awakened the
deepest interest throughout the Uni
ted States. and which was reported al
most verbatim in the old National In
telligencer. 1t is needless now to dis
cuss the question of Captain Wirz's
guilt, although it was at one time a
fruitful theme for controversy.
This officer, Swiss by birth, left no
family in this country to mourn his
death, and whether he shall 60 down
into history famous OF infamous, is a
matter of no very live interest.
The Confederate prison at Anderson
Vile was of necessity a place of tor
ment, and the real question at the
trial was, whether Captain Wirz had
not directed his energies towards max |
ing the hardships of the prisoners still
more unbearable; rather than toward
their condition.
Wirz was tried before a military
commission under the presidency of
Gen. Lew Wallace, now better known
as literary man than as a soldier.
Col. Chapman, as judge-advocate, con-
Quoted the prosecution while the
prisoner had for his counsel Messrs.
Schrade and Baker. He was charged
with torturing his prisoners to death,
and the force of public sentiment was
very strong against Wirz. All Union
soldiers who had been prisoners of
war during the more prosperous days
)f the Confederacy, and who were filled
with grief and horror at the reported
,utrages against their comrades, clam
bred for his blood.
Capt. Wirz naturally had against
1lm the strong prejudice of the officers
before whom he was tried. Mr.. Baker
inally withdrew from the case on ac-
'ount of alleged unfair treatment on
he part of the prosecution.
Following are a series of extracts :,
rom the published reports of the pro- !;
'eedings, showing at once the nature :
II the charges and the bitterness of the
ceiling against the prisoner.
Evidence of Felix De la Baum, New :
York volunteers: "When arrived at
Andersonville, and the men were being
counted off, one of the men fell into an
'piieptic fit, and another broke ranks
md ran to get him some water. Wirz | {
lad the guard tied up by the thumbs
or allowing the prisoners to break
anks, and shot the man who went for !;
water with his pistol. He was about 6
wentY feet away at the time. The
wounded man was taken toward Wirz, .
headquarters, and I never saw him
gain. Wirz said with an oath: ''That's
be way I'll treat all you Yankees" A
lew York volunteer was tied to a
take, with an iron collar fastened
round his neck. He complained to
Virz. Give me one word more and
III blow your brains OUT was the re-
ly. Wirz refused to'allow me a band d
ge for wounded leg, and told Ger p
IAN soldier that he would send all of =
8 to hell, after while" II
Captain James Moore, U. s. A., testi- a.
ed to having found 1887 tombs of N ~
Jnion prisoners at AndersonviIle. y
here was military hospital near the u
rison camp, which explains the origin -
so many tombs. James Burns, of "
le Connecticut volunteers, swore that 81
,meone in crowd of prisoners hav- a
g thrown rock at Captain Wirz, 81
e turned and deliberately fred his IL
;stol into the crowd. A. D. Blair, of u
ew York, testified that he had heard
,veral prisoners ask Captain Wirz
bout rations, to which the Captain !"
'plied that they would receive all W
ley We're entitled to, which would be =
durned'2 little. Hugh R. Snee, Of u
linois, was one of the many to at =
'mpt to smuggle out during an ex-