The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-05-11
MONUMENT TO
MAJOR WIRZ
dwelling Ceremony at
Andersonville Tomorrow
ERECTED BY GEORGIA .. D. {.
a Lafge Crowd Is Expected to Be
Present.
r.seripslo. Wa. selected witA Crest
care !. - Not TO Gave onenss
10 Any section Of tire
oeu.sry.
ERECTED BY GEORGIA o, D. {.

savannah 0n.t may 49, -
ing OF the monument TO Major Henry
wirz. G. Is. A.. at Anderronviiie,
Georgia. on Wednesday. May 18th. will
be an event that Will attract attention
not only throughout the South hut In
all sections of the county. The mon
ument will be unveiled with appro-
pirate ceremonies. 1t was erected
through the efforts Of .ne Georgia pi-
vision United Daughters OF the con-
fefleracy and largely through the sa8-
restton OF Mrs A. b. Hull when sue
was at the head Of that Organization.
At one time the Daughters decided 70
place the monument at Hichmona Dut
this idea was abandoned mis- sprihk
AT a meeting held In Atlanta ana
was decided then TO put II at Anders
sonville. where Major Wirz saw his
most active duty as commandant OF
the prison during the civil war
The inscription on the monument
has been selected with great care so
AZ not to give offense 70 any section
of the country and at the Same TINS
10 show the sympathy and love The
Eoutheru women held for one looked
upon in the South as q martyr. inc
Inscriptions are given up largely 10
recital OF historical facts.
The exercises at Andersonvllle Will
take place at 10 o'clock on Wsdnes-
day. May IL. Rev. p. IL. McMahoa.
a Catholic priest, of Albany. Georgia.
viii deliver the Invocation and Will
pronounee the benediction at the close
Of 4he service J.. Il. Mathis, Of Afncr-
icus. near which city Andersonville ID
situated, will be the marshal OF the
day. He VIII be assisted by aides OF
his own appointment. James Taylor,
of Anericus. win be master Of the
platform ceremonies and win intro
duce the orators Of the day One OF
the speakers Will be DR. Charles DIM
stead. OF Atlanta. The other will be
pleasant A. Stovali. editor Of The Sa-
vannah Press. A feature OF the exer-
cisea will be the unveiiing Of the mon
ument by Mrs. Perrin. of Matches.
Msssissippi, daughter OF Major Wirz.
Mrs Perrin has taken CREST dnteremt
Is the preparations for the erection
ana unveiiing Of the monument Aud
has accepted the Invitation to pc pres
emit and unveil It. Captain y. ~.
Parks, Of Atlanta, win give some REM
Iniscences Of Major Wirz with whom
he was personally acquainted. The
singing OF Maryland. My Maryland"
ana .sDixies by large chorus, the mr.
ing Of military salute BY the Amer
icus military and the sounding OF taps
win conclude the ceremony.
II is expected that a large crowd
wifi be present for thls occasion. Elk
cursions will be run from almost ev-
cry city In Georgia and there VIII be
delegations from neighboriag States.
The monument Is tall shaft Of
gray and white. thirty-fiye feet In
height, in design simple. slender and
A. o@f< haf o.
that Of q monolith The long shaft
stands on a base formed by four
square slabs of stone. which are SUI
perfmposed In the form Of q pyramid.
Just above this base the otherwise
unbroken outline OF the shaft IL inter-
sected by two heavy blocks Of stone.
below which on the four sides of the
monument are carved the following
inscriptions:
North side.
when time shall have softened pas
sion and prejudice, when reason shall
have stripped the mask from inisrep-
resentation, then Justice. holding even-
iy her scales. wiz require much OF
past censures and praise to change
places.
Jefferson Davis, December. 1855"
south Side.
"Discharging. his duty with such hu-
manity as the harsh circumstances Of
the times and the policy of the foe
permitted, Captain Wirz become at
last the victim OF mlsdlrected pop
ulnr clamor. He was arrested In the
time of peace, while under the pro-
lection of a parole. tried by q MIL
tary commission OF service to which
he did not belong, and condemned 10
ignominious death on charges Of ex-
cessive cruelty TO Federal prisoners.
He Indignantly spurned a pardon prof
Tered on condition that he would In
criminate President Davis and thus
exonerate himself from charges Of
which both were innocent"
East side.
TN memory OF Captain Henry Wirz,
C. 8. A. Born Zurich. Switzerland.
1922, sentenced to death and executed
at washington, d. c., November 10,
1865. To rescue his name from the
stigma attached to 1t by embittered
prejudice this shaft Is erected by the
Georgia Division United Daughters OF
the Confederacy.
West Side.
1T IL hard on our men held IN
Southern prisons not to exchange
them, but Il is humanity TO those
left in the ranks TO fight our battles
At this particular time to release an
rebel prisoners would insure Sherman,s
defeat and would compromise our
safety here.
ulysses s. Grant. Aur,,st ~ ,ss. .