The Natchez Chapter 304, United Daughters of the Confederacy

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The Natchez Chapter 304, United Daughters of the Confederacy invites the public to an unveiling of a family marker at the Natchez City Cemetery at 4 pm Tuesday, November 7th. They will be proud to finally identify and mark the Family Lot of their former member, Cora Lee Wirz Perrin. The previously unmarked lot is the burial site of ten members of her family. Cora died in Natchez June 9, 1928. She was the only child of Captain Henry Wirz, CSA. Captain Wirz was the only person hanged for “war crimes” committed during the War Between the States. History has proven, however, that he was a “victim of circumstances” and was unjustly martyred to the Lost Cause. Captain Wirz was offered clemency the night before his execution if he would sign a statement that President Jefferson Davis was guilty of war crimes. He chose death over dishonor. His poor widow and daughter were left destitute in Kentucky. In 1876 Cora married J. S. Perrin in Kentucky and they moved to Natchez where he was a successful equipment dealer. They resided at 504 Madison Street, now the home of John and Betty Pullen. They had six children, four of whom did not survive. Cora was a faithful member of First Baptist Church for 48 years, and also an active member of the Natchez Chapter 304, U.D.C. She always defended her father’s innocence, having experienced the sufferings at Andersonville Prison with him at age nine. Her beautiful unmarked family lot was only discovered this year and is located very near the “Turning Angel”. This is an important addition to the many dramatic stories that we like to “keep alive” in our famous cemetery. A very special guest is traveling a great distance to Natchez to participate in this dedication. He is Colonel Heinrich L. Wirz , Retired Swiss Army. Col. Wirtz is the great, grand nephew of Captain Wirz. He will be accompanied by an Aide, First Lieutenant Florian A. Strahm, Swiss Army. They will be touring Natchez during their visit. They will later travel to Cadiz, Kentucky to dedicate a marker for Captain Wirz’ widow Elizabeth Wirz. An added treat will be a presentation of Cora Lee by Patty Killelea, as presented on November 3 and 4 for “Angels On The Bluff”. Please make plans to meet us at the “Turning Angel” at 4 pm Tuesday to greet our special guests and help them dedicate a marker for our now recognized Natchezian. By: Donald Estes .

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Andersonville
ANDERSONVILLE Letter to Union Colonel William H. Noble A Prisoner at Andersonville John L. Kimbrough MD Figure 1 – An 1882 sketch of Andersonville Prison by John L. Ransom, author of Andersonville Diary, Escape and List of the Dead. (Public Domain Image) Andersonville – the most infamous of the Civil War prisons is a name that is associated with degradation, overcrowding, disease, sheer misery, and death. Approximately 45,000 total Union prisoners were confined at Andersonville of which over 12,000 died due to the appalling conditions. Officially known as Camp Sumter, the prison camp was established in southwestern Georgia with the first prisoners in place by February 1864. The name “Andersonville” comes from the small town close by on the Georgia Southwestern Railroad. Andersonville was the supply depot [2] for the prison camp and the arrival point for the prisoners. The town name was and is commonly used to identify the entire prison. This late in the war there were extreme shortages of just about everything throughout the Confederacy. Establishing a new major prison camp with adequate supplies was bordering on the impossible. The Andersonville prison stockade was first constructed encompassing 16 acres. In early summer 1864, the stockade was enlarged to 26 acres. Inside the stockade was a “deadline” which the prisoners were forbidden to cross and could be summarily shot by the guards if they did. Originally planned to hold 10,000 prisoners, the camp population swelled at times during the summer of 1864 to over 30,000 prisoners. The prisoners within the stockade had very little shelter except for some very crude small huts, known as “shebangs,” that they constructed themselves out of pieces of wood, sticks, old tent material, and whatever else might have been available.
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Andersonville U.S
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