Andersonville in Sumter County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Captain Henry Wirz

1823 - 1865

Photographed By David Seibert, January 24, 2011

1. Captain Henry Wirz Marker

Inscription. Captain Henry Wirz, under the immediate command of Brigadier-General John H. Winder, C.S.A., absent on sick leave, August 1864, commanded the inner prison at Camp Sumter, April 12, 1864 to May 7, 1865. To the best of his ability he tried to obtain food and medicine for Federal prisoners and permitted some to go to Washington in a futile attempt to get prisoners exchanged. He was tried for failure to provide food and medicines for Federals imprisoned here -- though his guards ate the same food -- and mortality was as high among Confederate guards as among prisoners. Of him, Eliza Frances Andrews, Georgia writer, said, “Had he been an angel from heaven, he could not have changed the pitiful tale of privation and hunger unless he had possessed the power to repeat the miracle of the loaves and fishes.” Refusing to implicate others he gave his life for the South, November 10, 1865.

Erected 1956 by Georgia Historical Commission. (Marker Number 129-2.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 12, 1864.

Location. 32° 11.75′ N, 84° 8.395′ W. Marker is in Andersonville, Georgia, in

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Sumter County. Marker is at the intersection of Ellaville Street (Georgia Route 228) and Oglethorpe Street, on the right when traveling east on Ellaville Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Andersonville GA 31711, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. POW * MIA (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Andersonville / Father Peter Whelan (about 400 feet away); Wirz Monument (about 500 feet away); Camp Sumter Confederate Prison Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); Star Fort (approx. half a mile away); Stockade Branch (approx. half a mile away); The Commandant's Perspective (approx. half a mile away); The Prison Hospital (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Andersonville.

Regarding Captain Henry Wirz. It is difficult to find a completely balanced account of Captain Wirz's trial and execution, one of only two individuals executed for war crimes following the Civil War. Over time it does seem that the view of Captain Wirz as a war criminal deserving death has softened.

Also see . . . Henry Wirz. The Wikipedia entry for Captain Henry Wirz. (Submitted on February 19, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed By David Seibert, January 24, 2011

2. Captain Henry Wirz Marker

Photographed By David Seibert, January 24, 2011

3. Captain Henry Wirz Marker

Looking east on Georgia Highway 228, over a railroad overpass toward the site of Camp Sumter, now the Andersonville National Historic Site.

Photographed By David Seibert, January 24, 2011

4. Captain Henry Wirz Marker

Looking west on Ellaville Street, Georgia Highway 228, toward the town of Ellaville.

Captain Heinrich Hartmann Wirz image. Click for full size.

Unknown -- from Wikipedia

5. Captain Heinrich Hartmann Wirz

Captain Wirz, born in Switzerland and educated as a doctor, had a medical practice in Louisville, Kentucky prior to the Civil War.

Captain Henry Wirz Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By David Seibert, January 24, 2011

6. Captain Henry Wirz Monument

Looking south from the site of the marker on Oglethorpe Street toward the monument erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the distance.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 1,617 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 18, 2011, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.