The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-10
UNION SOLDIER
ON MAJOR W|Rz
Story of Andersonville, As
He Saw Conditions, to Be
Told in Book. d.

- icttcf IcSSffCu W MIS- -. VI.
Young, wife Of Gen L. G. Young, re
Gently, throws light on the conduct
of Maj. Wirz at Andersonville from
a standpoint entirely different from
that of the many northern histories
that have been written, and Of the
Of Maj W'irz at Washington, says the
Savannah News.
The letter is the outcome of an ar
ticle that gentleman in Helena,
Mont, read in The Confederate Vet
eran," in which it was stated that
Mrs Young was the originator of the
movement to erect a monument at
Anderscnville to the memory of Maj.
Wirz. The gentleman is now writing
a history of the Andersonville prison,
in conjunction with a friend of his
who was there during seven months
of the time that Maj. Wirz was
charged with having accomplished ali
of the foul deeds charged to him. The
letter is as follows:
Dear Madam: By The Confederate
Veteran for October l see that you
were the lady who took the initiative
in erecting a monument to Maj Wirz
and I take the liberty of writing you
for information.
Testimony of Montana Man.
"a friend of. mine, an influential and
respected citizen of Montana, was for
seven months prisoner at Ander-
r-dn rlxr inf
in Michigan regiment when cap
tured, and some twelve or fifteen
years ago he told me that Wirz was
a kindhearted man who did every
thing In his power to alleviate the
condition of the prisoners under him.
This was a revelation to me. My
friend had sort Of charge over about
| 100 Of the prisoners, and was also
one of a committee who frequently
waited on Maj. Wirz. He told ne that
twice Wirz burst into tears when
| told of the suffering of the prisoners
Once, late in 1854, Wirz said Cod
| help you, / cannot. What can / do?
l cannot make provisions. My own
men have not enough to eat. They
are now on short rations.'
For years / have been after my
friend to write his version of Ander-
sonville A year ago he consented to
do so. He and / are now at work.
He is a prominent member of the G.
A R, / have recently collected excel
lent data from The Confederate Vet
/ cram
/ Daughters of Mai. Wirz.
"The contradictory accounts in Gla-
ziers, Kellog's, Spencer's and Urban's
II (Union Soldiers) histories of Ander-
sonville furnishes good material.
/ Ours will also be from a Northern
standpoint There will, however, be
Y this difference: Ours will be true
account. Those other histories were
untruthful.
'Will you please kindly inform me
if Mai. Wirz's daughter is still living,
and If so where does she live?
do you know the address Of DR. r.
Randolph Stevenson who wrote The
Southern Side of Andersonville? /
have tried, but cannot get the book.
Dear Mrs. Young, any information
that you can give me / assure you
will be most thankfully received.
You might be able to give me the ad-
dress of parties who were cognizant
of the facts, those who were in close
touch with Maj. Wirz.
Our Northern historians claim
that Wirz put men to death, but the
very fact that the prisonerse them
selves were obliged to execute six of
their fellow prisoners II presumptfve
4 evidence that death had to be resort
ed to to maintain order and discip-
line.
Wirx the Real Man.
During the last dozen years my
friend has repeatedly told me that
/ while confined at Andersonville7an
! he was there during the latter part
OF 1.-THE never heard nor never knew
that Wirz personally killed a prison
er, and that killing only came out at
the trial Said he: The wirz |
knew at Andersonville and the Wirz
tried at Washington were two differ
II ent persons. There's volume in
h that
'The title of our book will be
Maj. Wirz indicated or Anderson
vile As it Was or perhaps, Fact,
Not Fiction. of Andersonville' We
have not yet determined what the title
will be-" The letter was signed by
NJ. L. Haley. No. S19 Fifth avenue,
Helena, Mont, and answer viii be
sent by Mrs. Young. giving all tie in,
formation possible.
/ This letter, coming as it does from
the close friend of a man who went
through the enforced horrors of the
Confederate prison at AndersonvilIe
telling of the conditions there that
were not the fault of Mai Wirz. is
highly priced here, and has beer
turned over to the Daughters of the
CoRfederacy.
Strong sentiment against the cree
ton or the proposed monument al
Americas instead Of at Andersenvills
has arisen here, and it has been posi-
lively decided that It will be erected
at AndersonEille as near the epol
where the old prison stood as posi-