The Andersonville Trial

The Andersonville Trial is a courtroom drama that examines the 1865 military tribunal investigating the horrific conditions at Andersonville Prison during the American Civil War. The play reconstructs the trial of Henry Wirz, the Confederate officer in charge of the notorious Georgia prison camp where thousands of Union soldiers died from disease, starvation, and neglect. Through testimony and cross-examination, the drama explores questions of command responsibility, the nature of war crimes, and whether individual officers can be held accountable for systemic brutality. The work presents multiple perspectives on guilt, justice, and the moral complexities of warfare, using the historical trial as a lens to examine broader themes of institutional accountability and human suffering.