Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-04

result of lack OF necessar1es, the south did
not have them for its own men and there
fore could not provide its prisoners with
these things. II the south and the con-
federate government did not have these
things neither could Wirz have them nor
provide the prisoners under his charge with
them.
And with these necessities provided even
then the terribly overcrowded condition OF
the prison would and did result in much
suffering and many deaths; and this was
due to the federals' refusal to exchange,
Let US look at this point a moment.
In August, 1864, General Grant wrote
General B. f. Butler speaking of the re-
fusal TO exchange prisoners:
1T is hard on our men in southern
prisons, but it is humanity to those left in
the ranks. II we commence a system of
exchange we will have to fight on until
the whole south is exterminated (Quite a
compliment to the fighting qualities of the
south.)
cat this particular time to release all
rebel prisoners north would ensure sher-
mans defeat and would compromise our
safety here"
Thus Grant justified his action in refus-
hard on our (his) men," And it was
hard" 1t was awful in the misery il
caused. Commenting on this, General
Butler said afterwards, speaking Of the
suffering and deaths that followed:
Those lives were spent as part OF the
system of attack upon the rebellion devised
by the wisdom of the general in chief OF
the armies to destroy it by depletion. de-
pending upon our superior numbers to win
the victory at last" But Butler speaks of
the lives lost in northern prisons by this
policy of nonexchange.
do not intend to use the argument
OF saying you are another" That If fed
eral prisoners starved and died, so also
did confederates in northern prisons. do
not mention It as argument at all; 1 only
cite 1t as fact. The south during the war
held in all 10000 prisoners; the north in
all 10000. Among prisoners held by the
south the records show that 22,67s died ;
among prisoners held in the north 26,A6
died; u per cent of confederates and but Q
per cent of federals.
But let me go back to the specific charges
upon which Wirz was convicted.
General Stibbs says: THE evidence pre-
sented before the Wirz commission salts
fled the court beyond doubt that while
this Andersonville prison was being made
ready, II not before, a conspiracy was
entered into by certain persons high in
authority in the confederate service to de-
stroy the lives of our men, or at least to
subject them to such hardships as would
render them unfit for further military
service"
l might remark right here that I have
Just quoted Grants and Buffers own
words wherein they practically admit that
they were doing similar thing; that was
why they would not exchange-destroyinR
the confederate army by process of
depletion
But Wirz was convicted upon this charge
of conspiracy" But a man cannot con-
spire all by his lone self; who conspired
with him? Well, the indictment and speci-
fication says it was President Davis and
James A. Seldom, the secretary of war,
and General Howell Cobb, and General ].
H. Winder, and others.
But no one else was ever convicted of
this charge. II Wirz was guilty Of It then
surely some one else was guilty also.
Wlnder was arrested but turned loose.
me United States government had all
these men In their power. Why did not
they try them? 1t seems to me this suffi-
GENTLY answers the charge of conspiracy.
There were two charges against Wirz.
this OF conspiracy and the charge OF
murder There were thirteen specifica-
tons. One Of these related to the charg.
OF conspiracy, the others to that OF murder.
setting up different murders done upon
federal prisoners by Wirz.
on ten OF these specifications of murder
Wirz was found guilty. one Of these muir
ders was charged as being committed by
MIN In February, 1864; Wirz did not come
TO Andersonville until April 70, 1854. This
Is the record. Three of these murders
were alleged TO have been committed By
him in the month OF August, 1864; Wirz
was absent on sick leave all that month
and did not return until about September
l. This, too, is shown by public records.
Now, most remarkable Of all, In not one
or these Specifications was the name Of the
poor victim OF wirz given. Six or eight
prisoners killed and nobody knew who any
Of them were. SO the record says go &c
1t and see. do not, and do not intend TO
dissect the evidence, but do want TO say
enough on this line 10 at least show there
Is another side to the wirz story.
II anyone really would like 10 know
something more OF this Andersonville bust
ness, then let him get and read THE True
Story OF AndersonVille," by Lieutenant
James Madison Page, who in the civil war
was an officer of the Sixth Michigan cav
airy, promoted from the ranks for loyalty
and courage. II is published by the Neale
Publishing company, New York. There
you will find a much stronger story for
the south than I am Selling, for II comes
from a man who fought against us and
cannot be said TO be prejudiced. as you
may say 1 am.
He was a prisoner in Andersonville for
months, from It's beginning, and tells OF
Wlrz kindness and quotes from other pTis-
oners to the same effect. The records OF
the confederacy in the hands OF the fed
eral government show letters where Wirz
several times wrote the Richmond author
tiles begging, actually begging for help
for the prisoners under his charge. See
Series ?, vols. w. V, viii. and Series 8
vol "
General Stubs cites two instances which
he evidently looks upon as evidence One