The Andersonville Trial

the end of the trial. It was then that Henry Wirz was found guilty. Why? Why was he found guilty? This decision was based on the emotional aspect of the witnesses, and not by the actual guilt. Not only my defense, but also the defense of Wirz’s attorney, Baker, the testimony of the defendant, Henry Wirz, shows that Wirz should not have been found guilty. Henry Wirz ran Andersonville, one of the many Confederate prison camps, which was located in Georgia. Andersonville opened in

History of Andersonville Prison When one turns on the television today they are made witness to all the crimes that are present in society. It is impossible to sit through thirty-five minutes of news without anger and rage becoming aroused. This is because society is bothered by infinitesimal paraphernalia. Society also believes in human rights and punishment for those who violate such rights. Yet what constitutes humanity? Ever sit there and watch the news and wonder just how far humanity reaches

Andersonville (the Movie) “Five hundred men moved silently toward the gates that would shut out life and hope for most of them forever. Quarter of a mile from the railroad we came into a massive palisade with great squared logs standing upright in the ground. Fires blazed up and showed us a section of these and two massive wooden gates with heavy iron hinges and bolts. They swung open as we stood there and we passed through into the space beyond. We were at Andersonville.” – Private John McElroy

Andersonville Prison epitomized the ultimate crime against humanity. The atrocities that transpired in this confederate prison sparked reaction and outrage at the conclusion of the Civil War. During the American Civil War, a prisoner of war was a person who was captured and imprisoned by the enemy. Both the Union and the Confederates had to deal with such matters of prisoners of war. According to Gabor S. Boritt, both the North and the South each had approximately 30 prison camps that held about

Franz Lieber and the Lieber Code In the midst of the deadliest war in American History, there stood a voice of morality and reason on the United States soil. Franz Lieber, a German political philosopher, created a series of political works in which he explained the importance of defining ethical boundaries for soldiers in times of war. In 1863, President Lincoln commissioned Lieber to create a series of laws to reflect his ideas (“Francis Lieber,” 2013). Lieber went on to create what became known

military prison in Alabama. Henry eventually received the job of the special assistant of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. As an order from the President, he had spent a year in Europe returning in 1864 to claim the Military position at the Andersonville Prison at Camp Sumter. Henry had the tendency of having a bad temper. The prisoners had struggled to stay alive as they had to experience the horrible torture and starvation while the sick and wounded were left untreated. Along with the harsh handling

Specific war crimes such as murder can be “individually and collectively…Some trials involved the murder of one or a few victims; others involved the murder of hundreds or thousands” (“War Crimes”). For example, in World War II, the crime of murder was very common against allied prisoners who “…were murdered before reaching a prisoner-of-war

submerged in ice water to see the effects of hypothermia, injected with chemicals and poisons to test their effectiveness, sterilized, vivisected, and operated on without anesthetic,” (Smallwood). When many of these prominent Nazi soldiers were put on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, they argued they were serving their country, following orders from their superior. Here, we confront the thought-provoking question of whether it is just to obey your superior or serve your nation while breaking the moral code

publication of the Lieder Code in the United States, and at the international level with the adoption of the treaties during the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Moreover, trials in national courts during this period further helped clarify the law. Following the end of World War II, major developments in the law occurred. Numerous trials of Axis war criminals established the Nuremberg principles, such as notion that war crimes constituted crimes defined by international law. Additionally, the Geneva Conventions

Background to the War After the War of Independence the United States of America was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This provided for a weak central government and strong state governments. However, it proved unworkable and a new Constitution was adopted that resulted in a stronger Federal government with powers which included regulating interstate commerce as well as foreign affairs.  The different states had varying policies concerning slavery. In some areas of the country where religious