Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12

MON Y NJ EN- was erected at
~ Andersonviile, Ga, in memory
"A of Capt. Henry Wirz by
4 4 the Georgia division. United
Daughters Of the Confederacy,
and was unveiled May -. 1905, by
Gladys Perrin, a little girl. grandchild
of Henry WirZ and child OF Mrs. J.
B. Perrin of Natchez, Miss, a daugh-
ter Of Henry Wirz. / have taken
facts concerning this monument from
a pamphlet on the title page OF which
Is this: Facts and Figures Versus
Myths and Misrepres Henry
Wirz and the Andersonvile Prison.
Mildred Lewis RUTHERFORD Atlanta,
Ca" The pamphlet was loaned me
by Miss Lizzie Worsley of Ieesburg.
The monument is inscribed on four
sides and the Inscriptions follow:
First-"In memory Of Capt. Henry
Wtrz, c. S. A, Born Zurich, Switzer
land. 1922. Sentenced TO death and
executed at Washington, .. c., Nov.
10, 1865. To rescue his name from
the stigma attached to it by embt-
tered prejudice. this shaft is erected
by the Georgia Division. United
Daughters of the Confederacy."
Second-"Dischargi his duty with
such humanity as the harsh cirCum
stances Of the times and the policy OF
the foe permitted, Capt. Wirz became
at last the victim Of a INSTRUCTED
popular clamor. He was arrested in
time of peace. while under the pro-
lection of a parole, tried by Il mill
tary commission of a service to which
he did not belong and condemned to
ignominiouS death or charges Of eX
Cessive cruelty 70 Federal prisoners.
He Indignantly spurned a pardon,
proffered on condition that he would
incriminate President Davis, and thus
exonerate himself from charges of
which both were innocent"
Third" 1t is hard on our men held
in Southern prisons not TO exchange
them hut it is humanity 20 those left
IN the ranks to fight our battles. At
this particular time 10 release all
rebel prisoners North would insure
Shermans defeat and would COM
promise our safety here. ULYSSES
s. GRANT. Aug. Is. 1854.
Fourth" When time shall have
softened passion and prejudice. when
reason shall have stripped the mask
of misrepre sentation, then Justice,
holding even her scales, will require
much of past Censure and praise to
change places. JEFFERSON DAVIS,
December, 1855"
do NOT know who thought first of
building a monument in memory of
Henry Wirz, but my record shows
that Mrs. Louis @. Young Of Savan-
nah offered the following resolutions
at the convention of the United
Daughters of the Confederacy at
Macon in 1908:
Whereas capt. Henry Wirz. COM
mandant of the stockade prison Ar
Andersonville. Ga. was judicially
murdered under false charges of
cruelty 10 prisoners; and
Whereas after an interval of 40
years these false charges are reit-
Grated on signboards in public places,
from the pulpit and on monuments:
Therefore. be it
Resolved. That the United Daugh-
ters OF the Confederacy in Georgia use
their influence TO obtain the necessary
funds to place suitable memorial to
Capt. Wirz in Andersonville, Ga. upon
which a statement Of facts shall be en-
graved in enduring brass or marble,
showing that the Federal Government
was solely responsible for the condi-
ton Of affairs at Andersonville.
BE II further resolved. That as
four Federal prisoners were permitted
to 70 from Andersonville to Washing
ton to plead for an exchange Of prison
ers. thus kseping their parole, trib-