Major Henry Wirz
The following is an account of the Federal attempt to force Confederate Major Henry Wirz to commit perjury against President Jefferson Davis. The narrative was forwarded to the SCV Dispatch on November 2, 2001 by Jim Schoolfield.
10 November 1865,
Washington D. C.
It is a sunny Friday morning in the Old Capitol Prison yard. Inside the
prison, former Confederate Major Henry Wirz awaits his execution and writes his
last letter to his wife. Wirz came to America as a Swiss-German immigrant
in 1849 and practiced medicine in Louisiana. When the War for Southern
Independence broke out he enlisted as a private in the Fourth Louisiana
Infantry. He served the cause of Southern liberty with valor and bravery
until he was severely wounded at the battle of Seven Pines in Virginia in 1862.
His right arm was permanently disabled from his wound and so he was appointed to
a staff position as a purchasing agent in Europe. At this time he was
given a commission as a captain in the Confederate Army. He had to learn how to
write with his left hand. In early 1864 he was called home to Richmond
where he served in the prisons around that city.
In April of 1864 he was assigned and sent to a new stockade/prison for union
POWs in Andersonville, Georgia as the camp commander. He was officially in
charge of the interior of "Camp Sumter" and his duties were only to
see "that order was maintained inside the stockade, sanitary regulations
were enforced, and prisoner complaints were heard".
It became the policy of the United States to cease prisoner exchanges by 1864
because the majority of Confederate parolees would soon re-enlist in the
Southern cause and be back in the field fighting in a short time but most of the
Union parolees just went home. The Secretary of War believed that many
Union soldiers were allowing themselves to be captured on purpose so that they
could be paroled and go home. General Grant feared that if Southern POWs
were exchanged it might very well mean the defeat of General Sherman in his
attempt to split the Confederacy through Georgia. This policy caused a
rapid overcrowding in Southern POW camps and prisons. Moreover the Union
blockade of Southern ports caused a sever shortage of materials that would
alleviate POW suffering. The Union even made medicine contraband of war.
Soon the prison at Andersonville became overcrowded and conditions inside became
injurious to the prisoners' health. Although Wirz set about to do all he
could to improve conditions and improve hospital care, many thousands died from
sickness and unsanitary conditions as the prison population grew at an average
of 400 a day. A delegation of prisoners was sent to Washington D.C. from
Camp Sumter to beg Lincoln to agree with a prisoner exchange that would have
freed every Union soldier held at the Andersonville stockade. Lincoln refused to
see them and Stanton the Secretary of War refused their pleas. One of
their number will write years later that they were treated with more contempt by
the U.S. Secretary of War than by the commander of Camp Sumter. Many were
surprised that Sherman did not liberate Camp Sumter as he passed through
Georgia, and thus relieve the suffering of the Union soldiers held there.
One prisoner will write that the chief blame for the suffering of the Union
soldiers at Andersonville must lie with General Grant, and Sherman and with
Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton because of the inhumane policies of
prisoner exchange and the systematic exclusion of food and medicine from
Confederate prisons when it was in their power to allow such. Another
delegate from Andersonville will later write that had Lincoln agreed to a
prisoner exchange the lives of ten thousand to twelve thousand Union soldiers
would have been spared.
After the surrender of the Confederate Armies Major Wirz retired to his home in
Andersonville to resume his life of service to his fellowman and be reunited
with his wife and children. However on 7 May 1865 he was arrested, taken
to Washington D.C. and charged with conspiring with Jefferson Davis to
"destroy the lives of soldiers in the military service of the United States
of America". Several individual acts of cruelty to Union POWs were
also alleged. It was his misfortune to be the only remaining member of the
prison staff and so he was made to answer for all the misery that occurred at
the Andersonville prison. He became the victim of public hysteria and a
pawn in a sinister plot to implicate Jefferson Davis in war crimes. After
two months of testimony filled with inconsistencies during a "kangaroo
court" he was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death.
Two days ago, a party of four men visited Mr. Wirz in prison with an offer of
full pardon and full liberty if he would implicate either directly or indirectly
the President of the Confederacy with any of the charges concerning the
treatment of prisoners of war. This offer was rejected with scorn saying
"this offer of life could not persuade me to treason and treachery to the
South nor my friend".
On the evening before the day of execution a delegation visited Mr. Louis
Schade, the attorney for Mr. Wirz and by the authority of a high cabinet officer
offered a full and complete pardon to his client if he would implicate Jefferson
Davis with the atrocities of Camp Sumter. This same delegation also met
with Rev. F. E. Boyle and made the same offer.
It is mid morning on 10 November 1865. Henry Wirz has finished and sealed
his last letter to his wife. Mr. Schade his attorney is relating the offer of
pardon conveyed to him last night. Wirz listens until he is finished and
then replies, "I would not become a traitor to him or anybody else to save
my life". Later that morning Rev Boyle will convey the same message
of pardon to him. He will reply, "although I am innocent of these
cruel charges, I will not purchase my liberty by perjury". Thus will
end the attempt to suborn Mr. Wirz against Jefferson Davis.
Later this afternoon after stroking a stray cat that will wonder into his cell
he will emerge with a black robe covering his shoulders, and follow his guards
into the courtyard. There he will be greeted by chanting soldiers and
other spectators lusting for vengeance. He will die "in the peace of
God praying for his enemies."
The Confederate Soldier
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