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Descendant Of Andersonville's Commander Wants Justice

Andersonville Prison, the infamous Confederate prisoner of war camp located near Andersonville, Georgia, was established in February 1864. Its commander, Army Captain Henry Wirz, has been labeled as a barbarian throughout history for the terrible suffering endured by Andersonville's inmates.

Since his trial for war crimes, there has been much debate as to whether or not Capt. Wirz was to blame for the extremely inhuman conditions at the prison.

Capt. Wirz took over as commander of the Andersonville camp in March 1864. Conditions were already horrible as the camp was built for only 10,000 and eventually swelled to over three times that amount. There was not adequate shelter, food or water supply, leading to starvation and rampant disease. As a result, thousands of Union prisoners died while interred there.

Immediately after the war, Capt. Wirz was tried and convicted of war crimes and subsequently executed by hanging in November 1865. (For detailed reading on Capt. Wirz and Andersonville, see the December 1998 issue of the Olde Kinston Gazette).

Historians say that Capt. Wirz requested supplies and medicine from the Confederate government and also pleaded the government to stop sending Union prisoners to the extremely overcrowded Andersonville, but to no avail. Many feel he was made a scapegoat and punished wrongly. In addition, evidence proves that Confederates suffered an equally proportionate death rate in Union prisoner of war camps, but no Union officers were punished.

For some time, Capt. Wirz's descendant, Col. Henrich L. Wirz of Switzerland, has been waging a battle to have Capt. Wirz's name cleared. Col. Wirz is the great grand nephew of Capt. Wirz.

"I'm personally convinced that one day the truth will be found out," Col. Wirz said in a 1992 Associated Press article. He has continued to ask the United States government for a posthumous retrial because he feels that Capt. Wirz was made a target by the Union. "The nation was too chaotic and emotional in 1865 to adequately review his war record," the colonel points out. When Capt. Wirz took over as commander of the camp, "the Confederation was already damaged. There were too much people and the climate was hard. There was a shortage of food. When there is nothing, you cannot do a lot."

Col. Wirz is not alone in his belief that Capt. Wirz was made a scapegoat.

In the early 1900s, the United Daughters of the Confederacy had a monument erected to honor Capt. Wirz in the town of Andersonville, calling him a hero and martyr, much to the chagrin of northerners.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans also support the Wirz cause. They have petitioned the government to declare Capt. Wirz's trial a "miscarriage of justice."

The group also placed a memorial plaque in Zurich, Switzerland, at the birthplace of Capt. Wirz, in May 1995. Col. Wirz spoke at the dedication of the plaque, telling of his ancestor's military career and untimely death.

The Andersonville Prison remains today as part of the Andersonville National Historic Site. Also located on the site are the National Prisoner of War Museum and a National Cemetery. The Site gives factual information about the prison but lets visitors draw their own conclusions as to who is to blame for the horrors experienced there.

Cultural Resources Specialist Alan Marsh, on staff at the Andersonville National Site, says that "there is no question that the [Wirz] trial itself was a farce. There is a lot of evidence that indicates that to the Union, he was guilty from the start. Based on that alone, the Wirz case merits another look. Justice was not served."

He also says that the two main problems at the prison were overcrowding and the lack of logistical support to get badly needed supplies. Resources were available, but Andersonville was not a priority to the Confederate government. "Capt. Wirz had no control over these two things."

As the debate continues over Capt. Wirz and how much he was responsible for the depraved conditions at Andersonville Prison, Col. Wirz and his supporters continue to ask for an absolution in the case. He has made several trips to Andersonville, at least once every two years. Peggy Sheppard, Tourism Director of Andersonville and President of the Andersonville Guild, says that he is very devoted to the cause. He will meet this month with the Sons of the Confederate Veterans in Mobile, Alabama, to discuss the case and possibly pursue legal action.

Other Wirz family members are getting involved in the case as well. Capt. Wirz has descendants in the United States from two daughters of his second marriage. Peggy Sheppard has spoken with members of the family and she says they believe their ancestor was dealt with unjustly.

An annual memorial service for Capt. Wirz, held each year in November at his monument in Andersonville, is proof that many people consider Capt. Wirz a victim of circumstance and not the monster he was labeled during his trial. For more information on the Andersonville National Historic Site, call 912-924-0343, or for information on the “Civil War” village of Andersonville, call the Andersonville Welcome Center at 912-924-2558.