The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-01-30

| ed Legally his case was exactly that
| of Sue Munday ard other notorious
guerrillas and robbers, VINO took advan-
tage of the state of war to commit per-
sonal crimes.
2. Wirz was entirely too insignificant
to be considered as a witness against
Jefferson Davis. Whatever Davis's pol
icy and orders may have been, Wirz,
who was a mere Captain, could have
had little knowledge of them. Orders
emanating from the Confederate War
Department or the Confederate Presi-
dent would have come to Major-Gener-
ais and acknowledgements, notably to
Brig. Gen. John H Winder. who was
the Commissary-Gen of Prisoners
and the real responsible villain. Wirz
could have only known incidentally and
imperfectly as to the nature of these
| orders and policy.
1t is significant of the gravity of
Virus offenses that the court found
him guilty in addition to the charges
and specifications. The first charge was
enlarged to include other persons and
other offenses, and the evidence also
caused the enlargement of the second
charge in three or more instances.
Wirz was given his choice of counsel.
They defended him ably, and after the
trial the prisoner was given 16 days in
which to prepare his defense and every
assistance in this work rendered him
He had the help of the chief reporter
of the trial, who went over with him all
the evidence adduced.
Judge-Advocate-Gene Joseph Holt
strongly approved the proceedings and
sentence of the court with an opinion
of remarkable force, which concludes:
1t may be added, in conclusion, that
the court before which the prisoner was
tried was composed of officers of high
rank and eminent for their faithful SER
vices and probity OF character, and that
several of them were distinguished for
their legal attachments. The investiea-
ton of the case was conducted thruout
with patience and impartiality, and the
conclusion reached is one from which
the overwhelming volume of testimony
left no escape. 1t is recommended that
the sentence be executed.
]. Holt, Judge-Advocate-G General.
Nov. 3, 1865, the proceedings and
Andrew Johnson, who ordered that the
sentence be carried into execution Nov
10, which was done by Maj .-Gen. C. c.
Augur, commanding the Department of
Washington.
So much for the legal aspects of the
case.
AS to the second inscription, it is suf-
ficient to say that whatever may have
been the policy of the Government with
regard to exchange, it afforded no JUS
LITIGATION whatever for the Confederates
treating their prisoners with gross in
humanity to compel the Government to
exchange upon the Confederate terms.
This is the gist of the whole matter
Assuming that the United States Gov
eminent was absolutely arbitrary and
unjust in its policy of exchange, yet
this did not leave the Confederates the
slightest justification for pursuing their
barbarous policy toward their prisoners
of war. That they did this convicted
them absolutely before the high court
of the worlds opinion. AS matter of
fact, the cruelties perpetrated upon the
prisoners were the result of deliberate
policy on the part of the Confederacy
to force an exchange upon its own
terms. From first to last our Govern
ment had stood ready to exchange man
for man, but the CoL.ederates insisted
upon the paroling of the surplus, which
would give back to them an immense
army Of fresh. vigorous men to put in
front of Grant or Sherman.
On the third tablet will be inscribed:
"COnfederates in Northern prisons,
100000. Union soldiers in Southern
prisons, 10000. Excess of Union pris-
oners, $4,000. Deaths in Northern pris-
ons, 26,536. Deaths in Southern pris-
ons, 22,O56. (Stanton's report, July 10,
1869 Twelve per cent of all Confed-
crate prisoners died in prison. Less
than nine per cent OF Union soldiers
died in Southern prisons Facts are
eternal"
This is grossly false. The report of
Stanton's which it purports to cite is
wantonly falsified. The report which
it pretends to quote is one which Secre-
tary Stanton, under date of July 49,
1866, forwarded to the House of Repre-
sentatives in response to a resolution of
that body asking for information in re-
gard to the number of prisoners con-
fined North and South and the number
of deaths. Mr.. Stanton referred the in
quiry to Maj.-Gen. E. G. Hitchcock,
Commissary-Ge of Prisoners, who
responded as follows:
Office Commissary- General Of Prison.
ers. Washington, d. c., July Is, 1866.
Hon E. NJ. Stanton, Secretary Of War
Sir: In answer to tile resolution of the
House of Representatives of the 18th
inst. calling for a report of the mum be-
of deaths among Union soldiers while in
Southern prisons and also the deaths
among rebel soldiers while held as
prisoners of war, have the honor to
state that from the records of this office
it appears that 6,435 deaths have been
reported from the rebel prisoners of war
and 22,576 Union soldiers are reported
as having died in the Southern prisons
These numbers should be seen in COM
parison with the number of prisoners
respectively held North and South, to
wit: In the North there We're about
100000, while in the South there were
a little more than half the number, to
wit, about 126.952 as per reports re-
ceived. 1t should also be noticed that
while We have accurate reports of the
deaths which occurred among rebel
prisoners in the North, the reports from
Southern prisons were exceedingly ir-
regular, as appears from the report of
H.. H.: