Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08

the execution Of Capt. Henry
Il Wirz. That officer was super
intendent of the Confederate
military prison at Andersonville. Ga
Taken by Union authorities after the
close Of military operations, he was
brought to Washington, lodged in the
old Capitol prison, tried by court mar
tial in a room of the present Capitol
and hanged in the yard Of the old
Capitol November 10. 1867
Perhaps it is not of interest how or
why this recollection came to the
Rambler. but if you are curious here
Is the answer: / was talking with a
star reporter. or rather he was talk
ang at me. We were eating lunch, and
he said: THE Government will prob
ably put up the Supreme Court Build
ing on the east side of First street, be-
tween East Capitol street and Mary
land avenue northeast. There are
some old houses extending along First
street TO Maryland avenue, and man
told me that there is some history
about that part of the town. II you
want TO dig it up, YOU can get it in
the news part of the paper, where
somebody may read it,
Several thoughts, If you will permit
the to take that liberty with language,
came to my mind. One was that in
the Civil War the old CapitoD was q
THU itlSLIc ZOE WflStI were CdllSu pO-
litical prisoners" Nearly every South
ern family in the District and near
counties was represented in that
prison. Some Of those families took
no more active part In the war than
to have q picture of Lee or Davis
hidden in the house, but If 1t were
found the provost marshal considered
the family suspicious and maybe dan
gerouS. The quiet home was apt to
BE- called NEST of treason or some.
thing as bad, and the head Of the fam.
lily would spend some time in the old
Capitol
If the girls in the family had copy
Of Dixie or The Bonny Blue Flag"
hid under the carpet and to be set up
on the little square piano when no
spy was thought near, the family was
apt to be taken by squad Of soldiers
to the old Capitol TO stay there for
some time. Ii any member of the fam
ily got a note from or sent one to a
relative or friend in the Confederate
Army or to an old maid aunt in Rich
mond, the family was officially con-
sidered n menace 70 the Union and
was given lodgings in the old Capitol.
There were great many volunteer
informers in Washington. They talked
patriotism but were often moved by
malice toward neighbors and by
desire for a reward. AS the Rambler
remembers these people. many of
them were very ordinary, and some
of them were "ornery"--if there's
any one else in Washington old
enough to know the meaning OF that
word. have the idea that early
English immigrants made the word
'orneyy" out OF the old French word
'honnir''--to disgrace, TO dishonor-
hut l haven't time to go into that. An
egg.sucking hound was gentleman
alongside of an 'ornery' cuss.
Well. when thoughts Of the old
Capitol came to me- the first that
promised 10 make n story was the
NVirz case, I thought il would freshen
tho memory Of some old Nashingto-
nian and might be a. short lesson in
history TO that small number of per
sons who care for history. 1t is con
trary 10 the policy which the Rambler
has followed for years, TO dig up
tragedies and other unhappy things,
and he has sought TO give YOU pleas
ant reminderS-stories that might
make YOU slap your knees and say:
cha. ha, ha. / remember that IT was
one Of the most amusing things |
ever saw, ha! .ha.' But we will turn
20 the Wirz story-a somber story
harratus Maestus-fabula luctuosus.
Not so gay as many Of our revels
about old homes and old families that
hob-nobbed with George Washington
and went a-driving with Pocahontas.
but-varietas delectat.
-
T THINK Il we'll before going further
= with this story. that YOU read what
follows. which ] have taken from the
Encyclopaedia Americana:
"AnderSonville, Ga.-A village OF
Sumter County. 60 miles southwest OF
Macon. noted as the seat. during the
Civil War. of a, military prison or the
Confederate States. This prison was
established in November. 1858. and
consisted of an unsheltered Enclosure
containing. al first 90 acres, an area
subsequently increased to 81. II was
commanded by Gen. w. s. Winder,
but the superintendent was one Henry
Wirz, a Swiss. 1t has been stated that
Andersonville was selected as a suit
able site because secure against Fed
er-al raiders. and generally considered
healthfui. but that the laying waste
Of the fields of the South and de-
Rtruction Of means of transportation
brought upon the Southern people
great suffering in which prisoners OF
war necessarily shared. 1t is true
that rations were meager for Con-
federate soldiers. TO whose fare
such prisoners were legally entitled.
But evidence shows that the condi-
tons which prevailed az Anderson
Willie were due TO nismane cement and
cruelty: such evidence including ample
confederate testimony. as, for example.
khat rendered BY Dr. c. S. HsoAtns