Henry Wirz
Henry Wirz (born Hartmann Heinrich Wirz; November 25, 1823 – November 10, 1865) was a Swiss-born American military officer and convicted war criminal who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Henry Wirz | |
|---|---|
Wirz c. 1865 | |
| Born | Hartmann Heinrich Wirz November 25, 1823 Zürich, Switzerland |
| Died | November 10, 1865 (aged 41) Old Capitol Prison, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Burial place | Mount Olivet Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Spouses | Emilie Oschwald
(m. 1845; div. 1853)Elizabeth Wolfe (m. 1854) |
| Children | 3 |
| Conviction(s) |
|
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
| Service/ | Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | Andersonville Prison |
| Battles/wars | |
He was the commandant of Andersonville Prison, a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp near Andersonville, Georgia, where nearly 13,000 Union Army prisoners of war died as result of inhumane conditions. After the war, Wirz was tried and executed for conspiracy and murder relating to his command of the camp. Since his execution, Wirz has become a controversial figure due to debate about his guilt and reputation, including criticism over his personal responsibility for Andersonville Prison's conditions and the quality of his post-war trial.