Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/81

 Prisoners of War Nor fit and South. 73

After the war he was charged by the Federal authorities with various crimes at the prison. He was taken to Washington city, and there hel^l to trial by a military court, which condemned him to be hung, and he was executed on the loth of November, 1865.

The military court which tried and condemned Confederate Captain Henry Wirz was presided over by General Lewis Wallace, who subsequently became the famous author of the book known as "Ben Hur,' which has been published in numerous editions and read by thousands of our people.

The work was also dramatized and presented on theatrical stages to the interest of many thousands of people and vast assemblies of spectators. I wonder if any of them ever thought of the author of " Ben Hur " as the same man and officer who ruled in the military court that tried and condemned Confederate Captain Henry Wirz?

The circumstances of the Confederate government rendered it practically impossible to give the prisoners all of their necessities.

Captain Wirz was condemned and hung as a cruel felon.

His cruel judge lived on and became famous. Does it not really seem like the irony of fate?

The United States was in better condition and with more favor- able circumstances for the proper care of prisoners, yet they allowed our Confederate soldiers to suffer severely, man>y of them being put to death without cause of reason.

Many of them died from starvation and freezing, as occurred at Elmira, N. Y., Fort Delaware, Del., and at Sandusky (Johnson's Island), Ohio.

At Sandusky and Chicago are large cemeteries of our men who died in these prisons. Brave patriots of the Southland, they were true to the last, and they now rest in those cemeteries in view of those who opposed their cause, as though they are to be silent sentinels on guard forever for Southern manhood and courage, fidelity and fortitude, honor and heroism.

Indeed, it seems appropriate and timely that the United States should adopt the suggestion of the lamented President McKinley, that the Federal government ' ' should share with us in the care of Confederate soldiers' graves." He said : " Every soldier's grave made during our unfortunate Civil War, is a tribute to American valor. ' '

It is simply a tale of horrors to read now the official reports of the lives of Confederate soldiers in prison. A significant fact with