Swiss American Historical Society Review
Keywords
Court, Conviction, Descent
Abstract
While many Americans of Swiss descent have made valuable contributions
to the development of the United States, Henry Wirz has often
been viewed with disdain. He was the commander of the infamous Andersonville
prison where nearly 13,000 Union prisoners died during the
American Civil War, and he was one of the two men executed for war
crimes relating to that conflict. Despite his conviction in court, much
controversy surrounds his actions at Andersonville, and many writers
have either condemned or praised him. This paper will review the career
of Henry Wirz, examine his conduct at Andersonville, and analyze his
trial to see if he was fairly convicted, or if he was condemned for the
need of a scapegoat.
Recommended Citation
Winkler, Albert
(2011)
"Henry Wirz And Andersonville: The Career Of The most Controversial Swiss American,"
Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 47:
No.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol47/iss2/2