During the Civil War, there was only one soldier who was executed for war crimes. His name was Henry Wirz, a Confederate officer who served as the commandant of the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia.

Andersonville Prison was known for its harsh and inhumane conditions, with overcrowding, lack of food and clean water, and rampant disease. It is estimated that nearly 13,000 Union soldiers died at the prison during the war.

Wirz was accused of numerous atrocities, including ordering his men to shoot prisoners, withholding food and medical care, and overall mistreatment of the prisoners under his command. He was arrested after the war ended and put on trial for war crimes.

In November 1865, Wirz was found guilty of conspiracy to injure the health and lives of Union prisoners and sentenced to death. He was hanged on November 10, 1865, becoming the only Confederate soldier to be executed for war crimes during the Civil War.

The execution of Henry Wirz was controversial at the time, with some arguing that he was being made a scapegoat for the larger failures of the Confederate prison system. However, others believed that Wirz was directly responsible for the suffering and deaths of thousands of Union soldiers at Andersonville.

Today, Henry Wirz remains a controversial figure in American history, with some viewing him as a war criminal and others as a victim of circumstance. Regardless of one's opinion, his case serves as a reminder of the brutal realities of war and the importance of upholding human rights even in times of conflict.

For more information on Henry Wirz and the Andersonville Prison, you can visit the National Park Service website or read books such as "Andersonville" by MacKinlay Kantor.

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