III. Major General C. C. Augur, commanding the Deaprtmetn of Washington,is commanded to cause the foregoing sentence,in the case of Henry Wirz, to be duly executed,in accordance with the President's order.

IV. The military commission of which Major General Lewis Wallace, U. S. Volunteers, is president is hereby dissolved.*

By command of the Presidetn of the United States:

E. D . TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WASHINGTON CITY, November 8, 1865- 10 p. m.

The PRESIDENT:

SIR: I advise you as a friend, and in the name of God, to reprieve Wirz, and then pardon him- at least commute to imprisonment for life, which probably will not be long. Mercy will become you before the people; it will be acceptable to God. The praise of the vulgar, who thirst for his blood, will be no honor to you. Wirz is a poor, sick, suffering man. As to his culpability I think it limited. He ahd the great responsibility of retaining 40,000 restless men,a nd if they had escaped he would have been shot by the desperate secesh gubernatives. As to Wirz's hard speeches, thousands of men who speak thus are not cruel- often have traits of kindness. Again, Iadvise you, Mr. president, to be merciful. it will be safest, I think for your conscience in those dark days that are sure to come to yu, as they come to every man at last. Wirz is a miserable man. let him not in friendship be singled out for the "wrath of the law." I never saw Wirz, nor any one related to him, and I have no voice in his behalf. i am a Northern man and a Union man, striving hard for it during the whole of the war at much expense, and eithout any reward, or wishing for any.

I am,sir, your friend,

ESTWICK EVANS.

WASHINGTON CITY, November 9, 1865- 12 m.

Mr. PRESIDENT:

SIR: I sent you a letter this morning, dated last evening,a nd indoersed, "Very important." I pray you to open it. The course I suggest would strike happily upon the ear of the nation as a whole- now whhole- and uupon the world at large. Such unexpected clemency wuld be like the "dew of Hermon," speaking of the charity of God. Remember, sir, that Wirz is one lone, feeble man, and no shining mark. The law can gain nothing by his execution, but huymanity and pity, borader than the law, can gather laurels outside of it. And forget not that the dead have already forgiven him in advance. And it suld be borne in mind that war is not civil life. It is rough and cruel, and thousands even of our own soldiery have not been too merciful. That God may guide you is may prayer.

Your friend,

ESTWICK EVANS.

WASHINGTON, D. C, November 9, 1865.

His Excellency the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATEES:

In the annals of civil war there is known tome no greater onception of atrocity than the priosn pen at Andersonville, Ga. It could

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*For summary of the proceedings, &c., of the trail of Henry WEirz, see Executive Document Numbers 23, House of Representatives, Foretieth Congress, second session.

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