Executed

Henry Wirz

died November 10, 1865 · Old Capitol Prison, District of Columbia, District of Columbia

Henry Wirz was a Confederate army captain who had commanded the Camp Sumter prison, known as Andersonville, in Georgia. He was hanged on November 10, 1865, at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C., where he had been held for months, and a crowd of about 200 gathered. Reporters described him as calm, with a slight smile as he walked to the scaffold. He maintained his innocence, and one account says his authority over the camp was limited and shared with other officers. Pleas for clemency sent to President Andrew Johnson were denied, and a later account describes the decision to execute him as controversial.

Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state

Reported by: U.S. military tribunal (court).

News reports (2)

150 years ago today, Andersonville prison commander Capt. Henry Wirz was executed The Washington Post, November 10, 2015
The Nightmare That Was Andersonville Prison Camp ThoughtCo, November 26, 2020

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