A Narrative of Andersonville – Ambrose Spencer – 1866 | Trial of Henry Wirz, First Edition

The 1866 Narrative of Andersonville by Ambrose Spencer, published by Harper & Brothers, presents a Union perspective on the Confederate Andersonville prison and includes details of Captain Henry Wirz’s military trial. This first edition contains the complete courtroom argument by Judge Advocate Colonel N. P. Chipman, alongside wartime documents, prisoner testimonies, and statistical charts. It retains the original fold-out plate depicting the Andersonville site, statistical tables, and four pages of publisher advertisements. The book describes prison conditions, inmate suffering, accusations of torture, and prisoner treatment. The volume serves as a historical document of postwar efforts to prosecute and record Confederate prison practices.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Narrative of Andersonville, Drawn from the Evidence Elicited on the Trial of Henry Wirz, the Jailer. With the Argument of Col. N. P. Chipman, Judge Advocate
• Author(s): Ambrose Spencer
• Contributor(s): N. P. Chipman
• Publisher: New York: Harper & Brothers
• Edition: First Edition, 1866.
• Format: Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Original brown cloth, gilt spine
• Size:  7.75in x 5.25in (19.5cm x 13.5cm)
• Collation: xiii, [1], 15-272, [4 ads]
• Illustrations: engraved frontispiece
• Contents Include:
  • Trial of Henry Wirz – Testimonies and Evidence
  • Col. N. P. Chipman’s Closing Argument
  • Union Civilian Account of Andersonville
  • Appendices with Supply and Mortality Records
• Provenance: Presentation inscription to Geo. S. Wyant Camp, S. of V., presented by W. C. Sharpe
• Reference(s): Nevins I, 202; Sabin 89300

• “…a history by a Unionist who lived near the prison; rabidly hostile to Confederates and often careless with facts.” – Nevins

Condition:

Very Good. Bound in original brown cloth with blind-stamped covers and gilt lettering to the spine. Mild wear at spine ends and corners. Binding is solid. Pages show light scattered foxing but remain legible throughout. The engraved frontispiece plate is fully intact and clean.

Why Collect This?

• First edition Civil War-era trial account printed in 1866
• Includes full military tribunal record and Chipman’s speech
• Relevant to collectors of Civil War, military justice, or Union perspectives