Henry Wirz Hero-Martyr? | Thread profile

I think the true culprit in what went on at Andersonville is Wirz supierior Gen. Winder. I think if Winder did not die in Feb. of 1865 it would have been him on trial and not Wirz. I think Wirz was inept and made things worse but the true crime rests with Gen Winder. Just my 2 cents worth. Andy

If I am not mistaken, when General Winder left Richmond, a newspaper had published something like, "may god have mercy to whom he has been sent!" As far as Wirtz being a hero, his being wounded at Seven Pines is the only thing that I would consider heroic. As commandant, I personally feel that Wirtz could have done more to relieve some of the suffering than what he actually did. ...

I doubt any prison camp in any country, during the 19th Century wasn't a death camp for many. In fact, the mere presense of an army camp, run by the soldiers' own army, was a death camp for many. In any camp, you had the passing of diseases from one soldier to another. The Confederacy had serious problems feeding its own soldiers and civilians. What can one expect with captured ...

Quote: Originally Posted by whitworth In fact, the mere presense of an army camp, run by the soldiers' own army, was a death camp for many. A confederate soldier had a better chance of surviving as a prisoner of the Yankees than he did in his own army's camp. The death rates for the major Northern prison camps are:...

Wirz got caught up in that eternal quandary: in the wrong place at the wrong time. If his hut had collapsed on him on a still night while he was in bed, it would be the same. Wirz was likely more incompetent than responsible; but the camp at Andersonville got the headlines and the focus. Someone had to hang. Guess who? ole

Quote: The average death rate in Northern prisons was 11.7% while the average in confederate prisons was about 15.3%. Math is something like the ziiiiinnnnngggg I hear when something passes over my head. Does the death rates of the nine camps listed, totalled and divided by nine, equal 11.7 percent? I tried several times to reach that figure ...

Quote: Originally Posted by cash A confederate soldier had a better chance of surviving as a prisoner of the Yankees than he did in his own army's camp. BS. Quote: Originally Posted by cash The death rates for the major Northern prison camps are: Camp Douglas 12.4%...

Quote: The problem with the official tabs is there is about 6,000 buried at Confederate Mound, Oakwoods Cemetery (Chicago)......or 23% of that 26,000. Over time, the cumulative population of Camp Douglas was considerably more than 26,000. If all the prisoners at Camp Douglas, during it's existence amounted to 26,000, and 6,000 died during ...

If you would like to learn about Andersonville I suggest you read William Marvel's, Andersonvile:The Last Depot , which was well researched. You can also go to my website at www.civilwardiary.net and read from June 7, 1864 through October 11, 1864 about my great grandfather's summer at Andersonville and later stay at Millen, GA. Wirz was an SOB, but he also had an impossible job to do. His ...

Many thanks for the info and headsup on your blog. Maybe tomorrow. I've had quite enough of thinking about POWs for one day. ole