Civil War Soldiers captured by the enemy often found themselves in situations more hazardous than the battlefield. The prison camps of both sides were unable to adequately house the immense number of prisoners cramped in them. Andersonville existed as a prison camp for only fourteen months, but it would become the most infamous prison camp of the Civil War. Confederate leaders were looking for a place to move their prisoners of war. They chose the location near Andersonville, Georgia because there was a railroad and a creek nearby. The railroad was needed to move prisoners in case there was a prisoner exchange. The prison camp was officially named Camp Sumter. In February 1864, the first prisoners began arriving in Andersonville. Andersonville was originally intended to hold 10,000 men, but the prison soon became overpopulated. The stockade was formed from 15-foot pine logs. A rail fence surrounded the entire inside of the stockade. The fence was about 20 feet from the wall. The rail fence was called the deadline. Guards were given permission to shoot prisoners that went near or crossed the deadline. Guards shot the prisoners from sentry boxes located all around the stockade. The prison was enlarged shortly after its initial construction because there were too many prisoners arriving. At one point there were more than 32,000 prisoners housed in Andersonville. The prison had a high mortality rate; more than 12,000 soldiers died in Andersonville[i] .
Confederate supplies were prioritized to go towards the war efforts, so they did not provide a sufficient amount of clothing, food, and medical care for the prisoners. The first problem many new inmates faced was the lack of a shelter. They built huts from materials they found. They spent a considerable amount of time building and repairing their shelter. The guards allowed inmates to do whatever they wanted as long as the prisoners did not try to escape. The inmates were faced with the problem of how to keep busy. Some prisoners were in charge of the task of issuing rations. A small number of prisoners were in charge cooking, cutting wood, nursing the ill, and burying the dead. The rest of the prison population had to find other ways to distract themselves. Prisoners often dealt with the problem of preparing food and finding water. The rations issued to the prisoners were usually uncooked. Food preparation was particularly difficult because of the lack of tools. Prisoners often combined their rations to save firewood.
The prisoners would dig wells for clean water. This task was difficult as well due to the lack of tools. Some prisoners would pretend to dig wells but then would dig horizontally to try to escape and Many prisoners were successful. There were 329 prisoners that successfully escaped Andersonville[ii]. Prisoners found many methods of escape. Some ran away when they were assigned outside work detail. Some prisoners bribed guards. There was even a case of a prisoner escaping by pretending to be dead. That prisoner was brought to the nearby poorly built cemetery. The guards left him there and he ran away at night. When guards suspected that a prisoner had escaped they would look for them using hounds.
Prisoners faced terrible conditions at Andersonville. Soap was rarely available. This lead to prisoners being constantly filthy. During a prisoner exchange one reporter was stunned to see the shape of the Andersonville prisoners: “To describe the wretchedness and misery, the filth and starvation, is more than I can do” [iii]. Many of soldier imprisoned in Andersonville died from malnutrition and diseases before they could be exchanged. Henry Wirz was a commander at Andersonville that was put on trial for war crimes after the civil war. Wirz’s trial provides evidence about the poor conditions that were previously reported in Andersonville.
[i] Futch, Ovid L. 1962. Prison Life at Andersonville. Civil War History. 8, no. 2: 121-135.
[ii] Futch, Ovid L. 1962. Prison Life at Andersonville. Civil War History. 8, no. 2: 121-135.
[iii] Blake, D. 1865. Our Andersonville Prisoners. Liberator (1831-1865). 35, no. 2: 8.
Henry Wirz was the main commander of Andersonville but he did not start out his life as a Prisoner of War Commander. Wirz was born in Switzerland on November 25th, 1823 with a dream in becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, due to low incomes, his family was not able to send him off to school. In replacement, he was sent to have occupational training. In 1845, he was married to Emilie Oschwald and had two children but due to an unpaid loan he took out, he had to leave Switzerland which led to a divorce. Wirz immigrated to the United States in 1849 where he jumped from job to job. It was during this time he remarried a woman named Elizabeth Wolf.
As the Civil War broke out, Wirz started off as a member of the Fourth Louisiana Battalion. After getting wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines, he became a commander of his first military prison at Richmond, Virginia. This is where Wirz was noticed by General John Winder. Being so impressed by his Commander Role, Winder had Wirz transfer into his department. Because of this promotion, Wirz was in charge of prisoners of war for the remainder of the Civil War. It was in 1864 when Wirz was transferred to Andersonville and when he unintentionally got his name in the books for the rest of history.
As the Civil War broke out, Wirz started off as a member of the Fourth Louisiana Battalion. After getting wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines, he became a commander of his first military prison at Richmond, Virginia. This is where Wirz was noticed by General John Winder. Being so impressed by his Commander Role, Winder had Wirz transfer into his department. Because of this promotion, Wirz was in charge of prisoners of war for the remainder of the Civil War. It was in 1864 when Wirz was transferred to Andersonville and when he unintentionally got his name in the books for the rest of history.
An illustrated picture of Henry Wirz photographed by Gardner. Photo taken from Henry Wirz Biography, http://www.biography.com/people/henry-wirz-560234.
Wirz is most known for his harsh treatment to the prisoners of war that were sent to Andersonville. As stated above, the prisoners were malnourished, were not cured properly for any diseases that broke out, beaten for no particular reason...the list grows on and on. Though Wirz was not the main person in charge of all the orders that were given, he was one of the many who executed the orders and at times commanded the others officials at the camp to mistreat the prisoners a specific way.
Andersonville was shut down in April 1865. The Civil War soon ended on May 9th 1865. Once the camp got shut down, word got out on all the mistreatment of the Union prisoners and Wirz was soon arrested. Wirz was charged with murder and conspiracy to injure the health and lives of Union Soldiers. He was on trial in August 1865 which lasted for 2 months and had more than 100 witnesses to testify.
[1]
In Wirz’s defense, he claims that “he ought not to be held or tried by this commission, but ought to be discharged from custody, because, he says, that just before the time of his arrest he was at Andersonville, Georgia, in full enjoyment of his personal liberty, and that Captain Noyes, an officer on the staff of Brevet Major General Wilson, applied to him for information and records relating to the military prison at Andersonville, which he cheerfully consented to give; and thereupon said Captain Noyes, having competent authority so to do, promised [Wirz] that, if he would accompany the said Captain Noyes to the headquarters of General Wilson, to give such verbal information relative to said prison as General Wilson might desire, he should have safe conduct going and returning to his home, and should not be arrested or held as a prisoner.”
[2]
Considering the facts that he agreed to give evidence willingly as to what happen at Andersonville, he should not be arrested. He also states that because he was following orders he should not be punished and if he should, he should not be the only one because there were many other officers committing the same accused crimes as him. Unfortunately, none of Wirz’s arguments helped him as one witness that was brought up to testify against what Wirz claimed. The witness claimed that he heard Wirz say “‘Hurry up and sign these paroles, or you'll die here anyhow.’”
[3]
After hearing this, the witness reported everything to General Wilson who ordered the witness to arrest Wirz. The witness was not able to collect any of the hospital records because the doctor stationed there said “‘they were not yet complete, and that if [the witness] would send him down some clerks he would see that they were completed.’”
[4]
As more testimonies went on, it was clear that Henry Wirz was at fault. He was found guilty on all counts. On November 10th, 1865, Wirz was charged and was hung at the age of 41. Unfortunately, to Wirz and/or everyone who was mistreated, Wirz was the only Confederate soldier to be charged with war crimes in the Civil War.
[1] “Andersonville,” History.com, 2016, September 6, 2016, http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/andersonville.
[2] “Trial of Henry Wirz,” (Executive Document), 9.
[3] “Trial of Henry Wirz,” (Executive Document), 19.
[4] “Trial of Henry Wirz,” (Executive Document), 19.
Andersonville was shut down in April 1865. The Civil War soon ended on May 9th 1865. Once the camp got shut down, word got out on all the mistreatment of the Union prisoners and Wirz was soon arrested. Wirz was charged with murder and conspiracy to injure the health and lives of Union Soldiers. He was on trial in August 1865 which lasted for 2 months and had more than 100 witnesses to testify.
[1]
In Wirz’s defense, he claims that “he ought not to be held or tried by this commission, but ought to be discharged from custody, because, he says, that just before the time of his arrest he was at Andersonville, Georgia, in full enjoyment of his personal liberty, and that Captain Noyes, an officer on the staff of Brevet Major General Wilson, applied to him for information and records relating to the military prison at Andersonville, which he cheerfully consented to give; and thereupon said Captain Noyes, having competent authority so to do, promised [Wirz] that, if he would accompany the said Captain Noyes to the headquarters of General Wilson, to give such verbal information relative to said prison as General Wilson might desire, he should have safe conduct going and returning to his home, and should not be arrested or held as a prisoner.”
[2]
Considering the facts that he agreed to give evidence willingly as to what happen at Andersonville, he should not be arrested. He also states that because he was following orders he should not be punished and if he should, he should not be the only one because there were many other officers committing the same accused crimes as him. Unfortunately, none of Wirz’s arguments helped him as one witness that was brought up to testify against what Wirz claimed. The witness claimed that he heard Wirz say “‘Hurry up and sign these paroles, or you'll die here anyhow.’”
[3]
After hearing this, the witness reported everything to General Wilson who ordered the witness to arrest Wirz. The witness was not able to collect any of the hospital records because the doctor stationed there said “‘they were not yet complete, and that if [the witness] would send him down some clerks he would see that they were completed.’”
[4]
As more testimonies went on, it was clear that Henry Wirz was at fault. He was found guilty on all counts. On November 10th, 1865, Wirz was charged and was hung at the age of 41. Unfortunately, to Wirz and/or everyone who was mistreated, Wirz was the only Confederate soldier to be charged with war crimes in the Civil War.
[1] “Andersonville,” History.com, 2016, September 6, 2016, http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/andersonville.
[2] “Trial of Henry Wirz,” (Executive Document), 9.
[3] “Trial of Henry Wirz,” (Executive Document), 19.
[4] “Trial of Henry Wirz,” (Executive Document), 19.