Henry Wirz was killed in what General Robert E. Lee described as, "a judicial murder." While credible evidence existed at the time, and still exists today that he did everything in his power to care for the men in his charge, and the evidence linking him to the so called atrocities is flimsy at best, he alone was held to account for the shortcomings of the entire Confederacy in meeting the logistical challenge of caring for the prisoners in his charge. Convicted in a hasty and flagrantly unfair trial, he was executed in a brutally quick execution with no chance to have an appeal heard or to mount a credible defense.

Specification 1: That he shot a prisoner on July 8, 1864 with his own hand, the prisoner dying the following day. Despite having a pool of over 30,000 potential witnesses, the Court-Martial was unable to determine the name of the prisoner who was shot.

Specification 2: That Wirz maliciously stomped, kicked, and bruised a prisoner on September 20, 1864. Again despite having a pool of tens of thousands of potential witnesses, the Court-Martial was unable to determine the name of the prisoner who was assaulted.

Specification 3: That Wirz shot a prisoner with his own hand, on June 13, 1864. Again despite having a pool of tens of thousands of potential witnesses, the Court-Martial was unable to determine the name of the prisoner who was shot.

Specification 4: That Wirz shot a prisoner with his own hand on May 30, 1864. Again despite having a pool of tens of thousands of potential witnesses, the Court-Martial was unable to determine the name of the prisoner who was shot.

Specification 5: That Wirz placed a prisoner in stocks for punishment on August 20, 1864. Wirz was on sick leave during the month of August 1864, and was not even present at the time of the alleged event. Also the board was unable to determine the name of the prisoner. Furthermore, the use of stocks was an acceptable punishment in the U. S. Army at the time for commanders to employ against their own troops.

Specification 6: That Wirz caused a man to be placed in stocks, which resulted in his death on February 1, 1864. First, it is likely that there were no prisoners at Andersonville at this time, the first reported as having arrived on February 17, 1864. Second, Wirz was not even present at Andersonville until his arrival on April 12, 1864, nearly eight weeks after the alleged event.

Specification 7: That Wirz, on July 20, 1864, chained several prisoners together and made them carry around large iron balls fastened to their feet. The result was that one of the prisoners died. Again, none of the names of any of these several individuals were determined by the court.

Specification 8: That Wirz, on May 15, 1864, ordered a sentry to shoot a prisoner, which resulted in the prisoners death. This shooting was described as having occurred in broad daylight, in front of thousands of witnesses. Nevertheless, the board could not determine the name of the prisoner. Further, the prisoner shot had crossed the dead line, a line 18 feet from the prison walls that the men were forbidden to cross. The standing order was known to all prisoners, and everyone knew that crossing the line was subjecting oneself to being shot without warning. Dead lines were standard features in virtually all War Between the States prison camps, both in the North and South.

Specification 9: That Wirz, on July 1, 1864, ordered a sentry to shoot a prisoner, which resulted in the prisoner's death. Ditto, Specification 8.

Specification 10: That Wirz, on August 20, 1864, ordered a sentry to shoot a prisoner, which resulted in the prisoner's death. Ditto, Specification 8, but further, Wirz was not present at Andersonville on this date, as he was on sick leave.

Specification 11: That Wirz , on July 1, 1864, allowed bloodhounds to attack and wound a prisoner which resulted in his death six days later. Despite a pool of 30,000 potential witnesses, and the fact that the man survived for six days being cared for by his fellow prisoners, no name was determined by the board.

Specification 12: That Wirz, on July 27, 1864, ordered a sentry to shoot a prisoner, which resulted in the prisoner's death. Ditto, Specification 8.

Specification 13:That Wirz, on August 3, 1864, beat a prisoner with his pistol to the extent that the prisoner died the following day. Despite a pool of over 30,000 potential witnesses, the board could not determine the prisoners name. Further, Wirz would have had to have conducted this particularly difficult murder with only one hand, since he was physically incapable of raising his right hand high enough to strike anyone.