3266

Civil War Confederate Army Captain Execution Lot [182780]

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Civil War Confederate Army Captain Execution Lot  [182780]
SOLD
750.00USDto 8*************e+ buyer's premium (187.50)
This item SOLD at 2024 Jun 08 @ 13:38UTC-7 : PDT/MST
UNCLAIMED MERCHANDISE: In the event that a successful bidder has paid in full for their merchandise but fails to settle outstanding shipping invoices or make arrangements for merchandise pickup within 60 days, HWAC reserves the right to declare the merchandise forfeited. This forfeiture will result in the merchandise becoming the property of HWAC and the successful bidder shall have no claim to or rights over the forfeited merchandise.
Hung Captain Execution Scissors & Rope. Civil War Confederate Army Captain Henry Wirz Execution Beard Cutting Scissors and Hanging Rope. Henry Wirz (1823-1865) was a Swiss born man who moved to the United States in 1848 after being convicted of fraud and embezzlement in Switzerland. He lived in Louisiana, married there. Wirz enlisted in the Confederate Army, and in 1862 came under the command of John H. Winder, the officer in charge of all Confederate prison camps under Jefferson Davis. Wirz was put in charge of the Fort Sumpter prison camp, soon to be named "Andersonville." These, on this 16.5 acre facility meant to hold prisoners for prisoner exchange, that at one time held 32,000 overcrowded Union prisoners, food became in short supply, as did medical supplies. The water system was bad causing much sickness. Wirz applied for better conditions, but was turned down by Davis' staff. Wirz was arrested for conspiring to impair the lives of Union Prisoners, subjecting them to torture and great suffering. He had gangrene at the time. Presiding was Gen. Lew Wallace. A large panel of military judges found him guilty after the testimony of more than 200 people. Judge Advocate general Jos. Holt, who prosecuted the Lincoln assassins, called Wirz a Demon, not a man. He was hung on Nov. 10, 1865 in the old Capitol prison. This was at the time one of the most important war tribunals in American history. The scissors comes with an old note on an oversized blank early business card. A two inch section of the hanging rope was retrieved by court witness Lewis W. Stevenson and included in this lot with his witness pass issued by Maj. Gen C.C. Auger. See more confederate related pieces in our philatelic section on day 4 of the sale.