Captain Henry Wirz

About a year and a half ago we ran a thread on Captain Henry Wirz, and the inscription placed on his gravestone. Since that time, we have a number of different members that might would like to express their views on Captain Wirz. For anyone who isn't familiar with Captain Wirz, he was the officer in charge of the Confederate prison Andersonville, and was the only soldier to go to the gallows for war crimes after the war.

Over the last few weeks, I have read several articles that claimed, that Henry Wirz wasn't guilty of most of the charges that were brought against him. These articles stated that testimony was allowed against him, by people that had no connection with him or Andersonville. Having read the court martial records, and a couple of books, written by former prisoners, the facts seem to support each other. But it's also true that the prisoners weren't aware of all that Wirz had to deal with. It's claimed that he had been ordered by Jeff Davis to kill union prisoners, and on his way to the gallows he made the statement that he knew how to follow orders.

My first feeling was that the punishment given to Wirz fit the crime. But if he had been ordered to kill prisoners, and if false testimony was allowed that would changes things. It's still true that he didn't do all in his power to help make things better for those in his charge. But was hanging going to far? How many other prison commanders, both Union and Confederate, may have been just as guilty and didn't face charges?
Would be interested in reading some of your opinions on the trial of Captain Henry Wirz.

Charlie

[hoosier]

I have little doubt that there were other prison commandants who treated their prisoners as badly, or nearly so, as the prisoners at Andersonville. And I'm sure some of those were Union. "Hellmira" comes to mind.

Still, if you're going to be a prison camp commandant and mistreat your prisoners, you'd better be darned sure your side is eventually going to win the war - or else make yourself scarce sometime before they lose.

Somebody was certainly responsible for the mistreatment of the prisoners at Andersonville, and as commandant, Wirz was the obvious choice to get the blame. The fact that others escaped similar punishment doesn't mean Wirz didn't deserve his.

[johan_steele]

I'll agree w/ George, other camp CO's were bad... Wirz may have been the worst.

[gary]

In defense of Wirz, the Confederacy couldn't even feed or supply its own troops. To his credit, he allowed the prisoners to capture the notorious raiders, subject them to military tribunal and execution. Of course, detractors would probably say it resulted in the death of Yankees and that Wirz would support that end result anyway.

Still, there's enough accounts by Union PoWs of his inhumanity and the inhumanity of his men.

One factor in Wirz's persona (but does not exonerate his conduct) is that Wirz was Swiss and the Swiss nature has little tolerance for the lack of a better word, discordant. It is likely that Wirz saw the Yankees as invaders and therefore little deserving of compassion.

Did Wirz have it coming? I'd give him a thumbs down. But then again, I'd give a thumbs down to many Federal PoW Camp Commandants too. Prisoners were mistreated on both sides (think Elmira) and the real tragedy is that they were all Americans.

[cash]

The only thing that saved John Winder from the gallows was he died of a heart attack before he could be tried.

Here's one Union version of Winder:

[QUOTE ON]
AUGUST 6, 1864.
Statement of Capt. B.C. G. Reed, Third Ohio Infantry (captured 3d May, 1863, near Rome, Ga.), and T. B. Stevenson, first lieutenant, Third Ohio Infantry (captured same place and time):
Escaped from Charleston on the way from the cars to the prison. Went to negro quarters. Staid in the yard until dark, then made ourselves known to the negroes, who hid us away and took us to the wharf. We could not get away that night. The negroes then kept us Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday until Monday night, when we got a boat at Clark's Wharf. The wind was so high that we could not make way against it, and at 3 a.m. we were left on the flats. We then went back to the tower, and some negro fishermen kept us till night (Tuesday, 2d). While there two shots from Gregg came within 400 yards of us. The negroes took us off at 10 o'clock, having prepared a boat, and we started for Morris Island. Met our picket-boat at 10 o'clock between Gregg and Sumter.
The negroes gave us good and reliable information. Although they are almost starving themselves, yet they would always give us enough. An old negro woman got us something to eat. I told her we had no money. She said, "The Lord God will pay me, massa, if you only get through." Those who will depend on the darkies will be safe in attempting to escape. Heard that one train of our officers (prisoners) was captured by our forces. There had been a cavalry fight 1 ½ miles from Macon. The roads are cut in every direction. The South is now waiting for the election, in hopes of a peace candidate being elected. Vallandigham or McClellan they wish for, so long as they can defeat Lincoln.
Hood has a large army, and will do some hard fighting. Their army is in good discipline. We found lots of Union men in the army, but they are afraid of punishments. We think the crop in South Carolina is light, though every acre is planted. They have plenty of labor. The railroads are poor, except Macon to Savannah, which is good. The rolling-stock is very poor.
These officers are vouched for by Major Kovacs, Fifty-fourth New York Volunteers. A negro man came from Petersburg and says that Grant exploded a mine, blowing up the whole city and killing 75,000 men. Six hundred of our officers are in the jail at Charleston, directly under the fire from Morris Island. The excitement at Charleston on account of the news from Petersburg was intense.
There was a fight at Atlanta on the 29th. They say that we had attacked Cheatham's division and were repulsed. Generals Stewart, Dearing, and Wheeler were wounded. A general engagement was expected.
General J. H. Winder has been in command of the prisoners in Georgia. He is a regular brute. His treatment of the men is infamous. They are robbed, have no shelter, and die hundreds in a day. When told that the Yankee prisoners were dying at Andersonville 100 a day, he said, "God **** them, let them die. They don't die half fast enough; that's just what we want."
Junius Brown and A.D. Richardson are prisoners at Salisbury, N.C. Captain Tabb, of General Winder's staff, now a prisoner in our lines, captured by General Wilson near Danville, has treated our prisoners brutally and infamously. He struck Major Pasco, Sixteenth Connecticut Volunteers, over the head because he would not get up at night and dig out an old tunnel.

[QUOTE OFF]

[OR Series I, Vol XXXV, Part 2, p. 220]

Regards,
Cash

[thea_447]

On another thread somewhere on these boards I have written a lengthy account of Captain Wirz . It was well documented that some of those that testified against him were not even present in the prison at the time of the supposed atrocities.

However, I cannot find the thread now. I did find this on the internet however.

http://www.crownrights.com/books/defense_of_wirz.htm

I will say this on the subject. There were more deaths of Confederates in Northern prison camps than there were Northerners in Southern prison camps. Elmira stands out as being as sadistic a camp as any, where the death rate was 25% . These prisoners weren't allowed proper clothes and if their relatives had sent GRAY clothing, these articles were burned in front of them.

Lincoln stopped the prisoner exchange because he knew the Confederates would only come back and fight again. He didn't deem Northern soldiers lives worthy apparently in his attempt to kill off as many Confederates as possible by denying them proper medicine, etc. The Northern camps were still capable of receiving these items while the Confederates had no medicines left and it is on record that the guards and prisoners ate the same rations.

War is war, and apparently starving prisoners to death was acceptable to the Lincoln government.

http://www.censusdiggins.com/prison_elmira.html

[johan_steele]

Thea, I must repond to your statement about the exchange... the exchange policy was stopped largely because at Chickmauga a large majority of CSA troops that had never been exchanged took the field despite their word not to do so. Apparently Lincoln & the Union govt was more willing to keep their word about paroles than the Davis cabinet. In defence of the men who fought while not yet paroled, most had been told they had been exchanged.

At least the majority of Northern Prison Camps had the courtesy to allow the POWs shelter, firewood, clothing (much donated by locals) and the same rations as the guards. Wirz allowed none of the above. sickness & disease took a far higher toll than starvation in even the worst Union Prisons.

The charges that Rock Island, for instance, was every bit as bad as Andersonville don't hold up to actual study. The camp commander had his hands full dealing w/ the political situation created by the Pro CSA & Copperhead elements in the Quad Cities. His replies to local Newspaper articles & Editorial are still available on micro fiche. He couldn't hide the conditions of the camp as they were evident to the locals, so he didn't try. The prisoners were housed in barracks quite the same as housed the guards. The sickness rate was similar between the guards & POW's.

I bid you a good day.

[8thvacav]

Shane...Read Elmira, The Death Camp of the North.
Martin

[unionblue]

Martin,

Got any good segments from the book that deal with this thread? Please share them with us.

YMOS,
Unionblue

[8thvacav]

Neil...I loaned the book out so I can't quote from it. If you are going to talk a bout how bad Andersonville was you need to read this book though. I grant you that Andersonville was bad but so was Elmira and for different reasons.
Martin
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