The tragedy of Andersonville : trial of Captain Henry Wirz, the prison keeper / by General N. P. Chipman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chipman, N. P. (Norton Parker), 1834-1924.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wirz, Henry, 1823?-1865.

Wirz, Henry.

Andersonville Prison.

War crime trials--United States.

War crime trials.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (535 p.)

Place of Publication:

Scituate, Mass. : Digital Scanning, 2000.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

After the Civil War, Captain Henry Wirz of Andersonville Prison--where over 13,000 Union soldiers died--was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. In response to a written request from the National Association of Union Prisoners of War, General Chipman published this evidence reported at the trial of Captain Wirz.

Contents:

TRAGEDY OF ANDERSONVILLE

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

Motive Shown for the Publication of the Evidence Taken at the Trial of Wirz

Charges Made by Jefferson Davis in 1890

The Revival of these Accusations by the, United Daughters of the Confederacy, in 1905, that Wirz Was "Judicially Murdered"

Erection of Monument to Wirz in 1909 at Andersonville

False and Misleading Inscriptions on the Monument

Protest of the Grand Army of the Republic

Proceedings at National Encampment in 1906 at Minneapolis

Important Feature of Trial

Exposure of Confederate Policy and Its Guilty Participation in Crime-

More Union Soldiers Died at Andersonville Than Killed in Action in Combined Battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellor

CHAPTER II.

Jefferson Davis and Andersonville

His Published Article Briefly Outlined and Its Specific Charges Noted and Examined

Some Gross Misstatements Corrected

His Accusations Revived and Reasserted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy by Inscriptions on the Wirz Monument

Issues of Wirz's Defenders and Confederacy Clearly Defined-Charg

Charge Refuted That Federal Government Responsible for Deaths.

CHAPTER III.

Some Hitherto Unpublished Facts

Organization of the Court

The Charges and Specifications

Special Pleas Interposed

Jurisdiction of the Court

Once in Jeopardy

Right of Parole Claimed

Argument

Pleas Overruled

Facts as to Wirz's Arrest

Wirz Pleads Not Guilty

Rules of Procedure

Circumstances of Wirz's Arrest

Wirz's Military Status

His Place of Burial

The True Significance of the Trial

CHAPTER IV.

Location of Andersonville Prison

Description of the Prison Pen

Wirz Assigned to Its Command

Early Condition of the Prisoners Deplorable

Official Reports of Rebel Officers.

Injunction to Abate Prison as a Nuisance Because of Noxious Odors

Upon Whom Rested Responsibility of

Origin of Dead Line

Rebel Authorities at Richmond Informed

Mortality Increased

In One Month 2,993 Died.

CHAPTER V.

Condition of the Prison Continued

Sufferings of Prisoners Depicted

Report of Colonel D. T. Chandler

Report of Dr. Joseph Jones

Causes of Sickness and Death Shown

Responsibility Fixed

Confederate Authorities at Richmond Had Full Knowledge

Colonel Chandler's Testimony

Testimony of Dr. Jones

Six Square Feet to the Man

Barely Room to Comfortably Lie Down

Inadequate Police Control

Prisoners Try, Condemn, and Hang Six of Their Number

Prisoners Murdered by Their Fellow-Prisoners for Their Clothing and Food

The Bodies of the Dead Mutilated

Reports by Surgeon Stevenson, Surgeon White, and Surgeon Thornburg

Dr. Jones's Report Graphic Description of Prison and Hospital

Causes of Death and Unparalleled Suffering

CHAPTER VI.

Conditions at the Prison (continued)

Reports and Testimony of Surgeons on Duty at the Prison, Namely: Dr. Amos Thornburg: Dr. F. T. Castlen: Dr. G. S. Hopkins

D

Testimony of Dr. William Balser, Who Had Occasion to Treat a Large Number of Prisoners from Andersonville on Their Way to Fre

They were Living Skeletons

Seventy-five Per Cent of Dead Might Have Been Saved by Proper Care

Actual Square Feet to Man 27, or 3 by 9 Feet

CHAPTER VII.

Conditions at Andersonville Continued

Testimony of Rev. Father Hamilton

No Shelter from Sun or Storms

Father Hamilton Crawled into Burrows to Administer Last Sacrament to Dying

Prisoners Covered with Vermin

Testimony of Citizens Living in the South

Publicity of the Suffering of Prisoners

Supplies Were Obtainable and Sufficient to Have Sustained the Prisoners.

Prisoners Might Have Been Sheltered

The Prison Might Have Been Enlarged

Means of Transportation Available

Supplies Sent by Sanitary Commission

CHAPTER VIII.

Testimony of Union Soldiers, Prisoners at Andersonville

Their Descriptions of the Horrors of That Prison Pen

Personal Experiences

Men Fight for Room to Lie Down

Private Property Taken from Them

Testimony of Major-General J. H. Wilson and Colonel George Welling of the U. S. Army on Condition of Prison at Close of th

Simple Remedies Pointed Out

General Wilson Concludes that There was Sinister Design in the Location and Its Restricted Area

Goldwin Smith's Opinion of Treatment of Prisoners on Both Sides

General Sherman Found Supplies Abundant in Georgia in 1864

CHAPTER IX.

Conditions at Prison (continued)

Testimony of Father Hamilton and Other Witnesses Called for the Defense

Horrors of the Prison Pen Confirmed

Witnesses for Defense Corroborate Testimony of the Prosecution in Many Essential Particulars

Diary of Rev. Father Clavereul

Father Clavereul's Account a Most Pathetic Picture of Human Suffering

CHAPTER X.

Treatment of Prisoners (continued)

Cruel and Inhuman Punishments Inflicted

Balls and Chains Used as Means of Punishment

Prisoners Confined in the Stocks and Left Exposed to the Weather

The "Dead-Line" and Its Attendant Perils

Ferocious Dogs Used to Hunt Down Escaping Prisoners

Prisoners Torn and Mutilated by These Dogs

Prisoners Die from Effects

Impure and Deadly Vaccine Matter Used for Vaccination of the Prisoners, Causing Many Horrible Deaths

Wirz Boasts of His Service to the Rebellion in Slaying Prisoners

Revolting Manner of Handling and Burying the Dead

Testimony of Rebel Witnesses Confirms Testimony of Wirz's Cruelty to Prisoners.

Report on Prisons by United States Sanitary Commission and Committee of House of Representatives

CHAPTER XI

Testimony of Witnesses for Defense upon the Specifications of Acts of Cruelty and of Murder in Violation of the Laws of War

Man Shot on Dead Line

Hunted Down by Dogs

Put in Stocks and Chain Gang

Wirz Kicked and Abused Prisoners

Very Profane

High Temper

Carried Pistol

Threatened to Use It

Some Acts of Kindness Shown

Witnesses Never Heard of His Killing or Treating a Prisoner Cruelly

Negative Testimony

CHAPTER XII.

Testimony of Witnesses to the Charge of Murder-

Prisoners Shot by Wirz

Prisoners Shot by His Order

Prisoners Killed by the Dogs

Many Instances of Wirz's Brutality

Men Killed by Being Shot in Stocks and Chain Gang

CHAPTER XIII.

Résumé of the Foregoing Chapters

Some Comment upon and Deductions from the Evidence

Mortuary Statistics

Johnson's Island and Andersonville Compared

Table of Deaths by Months

Number of Dead at Andersonville, 13,171

Deaths in Twenty-five Federal Prisons in 1864 Compared with Andersonville

Stockade and Its Terrors Described

Condition of Prisoners Known at Richmond

Hospital and Prison Co-ordinated to Destroy Life-

The Conspiracy

Charge of Murder

Photograph of Johnson's Island Prison

Statement of Soldiers on Duty There and at Fort Delaware Prison

CHAPTER XIV.

Some Interesting Facts as to the Preparation of the Case for Trial

Personnel of the Court

Proceedings at Close of the Trial

Jurisdiction of the Court Discussed

The Law and Facts as to Conspiracy Stated

Review of the Record by the Judge Advocate-General

Approval of the Sentence by the President

Execution of the Sentence

Law of Nations Systematically Violated

Conditions Surrounding Prisoners Who Were Witnesses.

Burial of Wirz's Body

CHAPTER XV.

The Cartel Suspended

Exchanging of Prisoners Interrupted

Causes Therefor

Violation of Cartel by Rebels

Right to Exchange Denied to Negro Soldiers and Their Officers

When Captured Treated as Felons

Sufferings of Prisoners Due to Treatment They Received, not Because Cartel Was Suspended

Rebel Commissioner Robert Ould, Maneuvering to Get Excess of Prisoners Held by Federals and Use Them at Critical Period of Wa

Action of Our Government Fully Vindicated

Report of General Hitchcock, Federal Com-missioner of Exchange, Covering Entire Subject

Letter of General Grant, Part of Which is Inscribed on the Wirz Monument

Interview with Colonel John McElroy, a Prisoner at Andersonville

The Evolution of Slaves to the Status of United States Soldiers

Some Interesting Facts About the Negro as a Soldier

CHAPTER XVI.

Andersonville Cemetery Made Beautiful

Expedition in Spring of 1865 to Provide for Its Permanent Care

Report of Captain Jas. M. Moore, U. S. A.

Important and Interesting Report of Clara Barton, Founder of the Red Cross Society, to the American People

Report of Dorence Atwater, Who Kept the Death Register, to the Relatives of the Martyred Dead

Interesting Letter of Superintendent of Cemetery

Inscriptions on State Monuments

Patriotic Work Done by Woman's Relief Corps at Prison Park

A Parting Word with the Reader by the Author

Bill Pending in Congress to Appropriate Money by Government to Erect Monument to Confederate Navy

Discussion in United States Senate

Views Expressed in Public Press

Dangerous Step for Government to Thus Give Official Sanction to Rebellion and Treason.

INDEX

ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece-The Author

Members of the Court

Judge Advocates

Group-Wirz Monument, Captain Wirz, Jefferson Davis.

Plan of Stockade.

Notes:

Originally published: The tragedy of Andersonville: trial of Captain Henry Wirz, the prison keeper. Sacramento, Cal.: N.P. Chipman, 1911.

ISBN:

1-58218-170-5

OCLC:

614720089