Existing comment:
The Trial of Captain Henry Wirz, Commandant of Andersonville Prison
"[Wirz is] an old prison officer, a very reliable man and capable of governing prisons."
-- General John Winder, March 1864
Wirz took charge of Andersonville in early March 1864. By August, the prison built for 15,000 actually held 31,843 soldiers. Prisoner exchange had stopped when the Confederate Government insisted captured black soldiers be returned to their owners or sold. Between sixty and one hundred men died everyday during the summer of 1864; altogether about 13,000 prisoners died at Andersonville.
General Lew Wallace headed the military commission that tried Wirz. Charged with conspiracy to kill or injure prisoners and murder, Wirz referred to himself as "... the tool in the hands of [his] superiors."
Both sides sought to prove that Wirz was following orders; the prosecutors hoped to involve Confederate officials, including Jefferson Davis, and Wirz hoped to pass responsibility up the chain of command.
Former prisoners, guards, civilians, and medical staff testified that Wirz withheld food and supplies and issued orders that resulted in the death of prisoners. Wirz was convicted and sentenced to death.
"Vat you tink dem Yankees do, if dey get me prisoner, up Nort-eh? ... Dey will kill me sure!"
-- Sgt. Henry Wirz, Richmond, VA, 1861 |