Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-31

that OF every four men who so much
as set foot in the prison ono died before
they got out. This did not include those
whose constitutions were wrecked there
AMI who died after being transferred to
other prisons.
''The appalling condition OF the prison
provoked much comment and criticism
among IL" Conf7derates themselves. the
comparatively few OF the southern people
being aware of the awful tragedy being
enacted there.
Barbarous Conditions.
The grand jury of Sumter county for
mally presented the prison as danger
10 the health of the people from the
stencil which arose and the diseases liable
10 De communicated. The medical de-
partment OF the Southern Confederacy
sent commission to Andersonviile III
the interests of science TO consider the.
ravages Of diseases in such vast mass
of men packed together in such vicious
surroundings and dep ived OF shelter ana
wholesome food. The Inspector general
OF the Confederacy made a formal report
to his government Of the barharous con
ditions and recommended that a man OF
more humanity than Gen. J. Ii. Winder
should be placed i'll charge. Cen. Ninder
who had been appointed commissarH
general of prisoners had his headGuar-
ters at Andersonville and was directly re-
sponsible for the aggravated conditions
existing there. lie had been provost
marshal general Of the Southern Con-
feaeracy. when his expressions and cruel
ties made him exceedingly odious To the
people. Upon his transfer from that
position the Richmond Examiner said:
Thank God that Richmond is al last
rid of Old Winder God have mercN
upon those to whom he has been sent.
Capt. Wirz was merely the tool OF
Winder ard the commandment OF tie
prison. He was a Swiss. and had been
detailed for that duty because he had
ability to keep accounts. something that
was quite rare among the Confederates
The Confede rates were an agricultural
people and bookkeeping was not one or
their strong points. Wiz could add up
u column OF figures and calculate how
many pounds of meal We're necessary
for given number Of men. which was
not customary accomplishment in the
south Beyond this he was a nervous.
irascible whiffet of a man. having no con
troll Of himself and therefore unable I"
properly manage others At the least
difficulty he flew into passion, sto med
about. struck and shot where man OF
ordinary ability would have gotten along
without special trouble.
A Heartless Jailer.
He seemed absolutely heartless as TO
the misery lie saw around him and there
is on record no efforts of his to mitigate
It, The statistics show that l4s men dled
from gunshot wounds in Andersonv1ile.
but all who were there Will say that TINS
is far below the real number. 1t would
seem i'm our recollection that not a DAY
passed without one or more men being
killed by the guards or by WIZ or some
Of his satellites. In this vortex of human
misery companies and even regiments DIS
appeared. Out Of my own little battalion,
of which. as before stated, go were taken
into prison. 1o7 died. Ny own company.
L. took 63 into the prison, of whom We
believe As died there or in other prisons.
Other commands suffered with equal Sc
verify, as. for example, the Soth New YORK
not large regiment when captured, lost
222 by death in the prison The capture
of Atlanta September l. 1854. brought
Sherman-s army within 10 miles Of An
Jacksonville and to avoid him the pris-
oners We're taken out and distributed to
other prisons farther from the line of
operation. This began September Z. and
those taken out were sent to Savannah,
Charleston and Florence. s. c.
capt. WirZ remained al Andersonville
until the close Of the war, and when Gen.
Wilson sent his cavalry detachment from
Macon to Andersonville. Wirz was found
there and he pleaded for protection under
the terms of Johnstons surrender. Gen.
Wilson denied this. holding that Wirz had
been guilty of murders and atrocities out
side Of his duty as soldier. He arrested
him and sent him to Washington. August
49, 1865. he was brought TO trial before a
military commission of which Maj. Gen
Lewis Wallace was president The sec
ond charge against Wirz was Murder in
violation of the laws and customs of war,
There We're thirteen specifications sup
porting this charge upon which 1iS wit
nesses testified and the commission found
hi,n guilty of twelve of the thirteen speei-
fications. He was. therefore. sentenced
to be hanged The proceedings, finding
and sentence. of the court We're approved
by President Andrew Johnston and the
sentence was carried into execution on
Friday, November 10. 1861
THE southern people and soldiers were
not in the least responsible for the infinite
horror of Andersonyiile. They knew moth
ing of It. All the odium rests upon the
little clique OF ambitious politicians, who
precipitated the war in the interests OF
slavery. and hesitated at no cruelty To
their own people and others to carry it
on and achieve success.
The Wirz Commission.
The following was the detail Of the
commission for the trial of Capt. Wirz.
The detail was ordered by the President
of the United States through Assistant
Adjutant General Townsend. Several men
appear on this who achieved deserved
distinction in the history of the country:
The order reads.
"a special military commission is here
by appointed to meet in this city. at IL
O'Clock am. on the sd day of August.
1865, or as soon thereafter as practica BILE,
for the trial OF Henry Wirz and such
other prisoners as may be brought be-
fore it.
bet Ill for the commission: Mai. Gen.
L. Wallace. United States volunteers:
Erevet Maj. Gen. G. Mott. United States
volunteers: Brevet Maj. Gen. J. w. Geary.
United States volunteers; Brevet Maj.
Gen. l.. Thomas. adjutant general, United
States Army: Brig. Gen. Francis Fessen-
den. United States volunteers: Brig. Gen.
i. S. Bragg. United States volunteers;
Rrevet Brig. Gen. John r. Ballier. colo
mel 9Sth Pennsylvania Volunteers: Breyet
Col. Il. Allcock, lieutenant colonel 4th
New York Artillery: Lieut.. Col. J. II.
Stibbs, 18th Iowa volunteers: Col. y. P.
Chapman, additional aid-de-camp. judge
advocate of the commission. with such
assistants as he may select. with the
approval of the judge advocate general
The commission will sit without regard
to hours.
by order of the President of the United
States. T.. d. TOWNSEND.
Assistant Adjutant General.