The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-04-19
oCAPT. WIRE.

Il
Capt. wirz.',1ths hendish commandant
of Andersonville. is brought out by 4
letter from Col. w. NJ. Hammond to
the Daughters Of the Confederacy. Col.
Hammond attempts to defend Wirz, but
incidentally he makes a strong indict-
ment against Jefferson Davis and the
other Confederate leaders. Col. Ham,
mond was ordered by Gen. Braxton
Bragg to go ito 4ndersonville and make
thorough discrimination Of the place
He had never before heard of the pris-
on, and was wholly unprepared for the
condition of things that he found there.
He spent three days at Andersonville
inspecting the several departments and
giving special attention to the hospital
equipment and general sanitary ar
rangements of the prison. He reported
upon this to Richmond. and his report
can be found in Volume VII. Series II,
of the Official Records of the Union
and Confederate Armies. This was only
preliminary report. however. and a
fuller report sent to Richmond was lost
and has never been found. He chari-
! tably says that probably this was inter-
copied and destroyed by the Federal
raiders. around Richmond, a statement
which will cause a smile of incredulity
on the faces of all Union soldiers. He
says that as he approached AndeI SON.
vile he heard at Macon and other
points terrible stories Of the condition
of things in the prison. and there was
much blame attached to Capt. Wirz, so
that he was interested in the man and
studied him carefully. AS to the re-
suits of this study he says:
| Maj. Wirz was, when 1 saw him. ap-
parently 40 years of age; was born in
Zurich. Switzerland, and was a trained
l soldier: a little below medium height,
| slight of figure, and lean almost to
| emaciation, with thin dark hair and
| brown eyes. Direct in manner and ex-
| preston. and active and alert in move
ment. he impressed me as one peculiar
| ly htted for the details of military adj
ministration and control. His right arm
had been badly mutilated near the
| wrist, caused by the fragment of shell
| at an engagement near Baton Rouge,
La, incapacitating him for active field
| service. He was at my side during my
visits to the sick and dying in the hos
| pital, and while passing among the
scarcely less wretched inmates of the
stockade. At night he went over the
| prison records with me, explaining
minutely the needs and deficiencies of
each department.; and when l was on
the point Of leaving Andersonville h.
| implOred me, with tears streaming from
his eyes, to urge upon the authorities
1 Richmond 1hSnlnfa
| more and better food for the prisoners,
| for medicine, tents and lumber, and
| declared that it. would be Infinitely bet
| ter and more creditable to our Govern
| ment and to our civilization that thou
sands Of the suffering and dying men
whom the fortunes of war had placed
| IN our hands should be released with
out the formally of an exchange or
any equivalent whatsoever, and recon-
mended thai advise the authorities at
Richmond to send as many of the pris-
oners as could be furnished with trans
portation to Richmond or Savannah or
| such other point as might be selected,
and there turn them over uncondition-
ally to the Federal authorities.
AT the time of my visit there were
23,951 prisoners, in the hospital tents
| and in the stockade. mostly priyates and
non-commissioned officers-a disorgan-
lied and desperate mass of humanity
last yestige OF respect for themselves
and of regard for their fellows; and as
capt. W1rz passed with me unarmeu
and unattended through this seething
| mass of misery and hopelessness, /
asked him If he felt no fear for his
personal safety at the hands of men
whose only possible fe cling toward him
must be one Of fiercest resentment His
reply was: They know that am doing
my utmost TO mitigate their sufferings:
and, besides, the least appearance of
fear or hesitation on my part would be
quickly fatal to me- And so we passed
through every portion of the crowded
Stockade without receiving an unkind
expression or seeing a threatening ges-
ture. To me it seems incredible tina
one guilty of the crueIties alleged
against him by hts executioncrs could
possibly have passed unframed among
thousands of his victims. Surely, a most
significant fefutation Of the charge that
procured his condemnation, and have
been used to cover his memory with
obloquy."
Virus kind-heartedness and about his
passing freely, unarmed, among thou
sands OF prisoners, will not be accepted
for moment by anyone who was
actually there. Every one of the pris-
| oners who happened to see WirZ in his
infrequent visits t, the prison and hos
pital will recall that he was almost in
variably attended by guard and that
he carried in his telt and fastened to
him by leather strap one of the most
notwithstanding revOIvers that was
| ever made. 1t was so deadly and de-
struciiye in its look as to be ludic Gus
to old soldiers, who were familiar with
weapons of the approved make 1t had
a large cylinder with 10 barrels, AMI
in the center was a musket barrel car
rying fuil-SiZcd ball to finish up the
victim after the 10 other barrels had
done their preliminary work. All will
also remember how prompt Wirz was
to draw this terribe-looking machine
and flourish 1t about with many oaths
and broken English execrations
If we admit that Wirz was the gentle
angel which Col. Hammond represents.
then the guilt upon the Confederate
authorities was terrible load. and this
appears clearly from Col. Hammonds