Schools
Students Relive Famous Civil War Trial at City Hall
Sixty-four students played out a mock court trial in Wiggin Auditorium. Over the course of two days, the prosecution and defense argued the case of Civil War Capt. Henry Wirz, a Confederate prison camp commander accused of heinous war crimes.
Peabody High history teacher Abbie Gore and 64 students spent two full days at City Hall Friday and Saturday to relive a famous Civil War court trial from 1865.
The mock trial elective course Gore teaches each year wraps up with a showcase of an historical trial that students re-enact (minus the authentic garb), relying on documentation from the pages of history, but also free to form their own arguments from the facts.
Students went head-to-head as the prosecution and defense for Capt. Henry Wirz, a Confederate officer accused of heinous war crimes that directly or indirectly led to the death of nearly 13,000 Union prisoners at Camp Sumter in Andersonville, Ga.
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Wirz was the commander of the infamous prison camp and was indicted after the war for murder, conspiracy to commit murder and willfully subjecting prisoners to brutal treatment and conditions at the camp.
He was placed on trial before a military tribunal on Aug. 23, 1865, and found guilty on all counts. Wirz was hanged Nov. 10, 1865.
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On Friday, several parents and other curious onlookers, as well as several City Hall employees, stopped by to watch the proceedings in Wiggin Auditorium.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt was among those observing the mock trial from outside his office before heading into a meeting with department heads.
He said he offered Gore the use of the auditorium this year -- in past years, the mock trial was just conducted in class, although students did get to use a courtoom at Peabody District Court one year.
An attorney himself by profession, Bettencourt smiled at times as he watched the would-be lawyers, jurors and judges. "We didn't have this program when I was in school," he said.
The justices for the case were Joanne Frangias, Scott Myers, Christine Delorbe and Anthony Ferrara. The foursome had actually taken the course before and were recruited for their roles.
Micayla Caruso, Fernando Santos, Andrew Najjar, Pat Lendall, Brandon Welch, Chris Cennami and Monica Caggiano served as the jurors.
The rest of the students (53) participating as either attorneys or witnesses for the prosecution and defense were:
- Richard Aiello
- Christopher Alimonti
- Amanda Alperen
- Justin Archibald
- Jonathan Band
- Brittany Blaisdell
- Stephanie Breen
- Erin Burbridge
- Michelle Cali
- Sarah Cali
- Bruno Carones
- Adam Chalifour
- James Christopher
- Waverly Cohen
- Alberto Dellorto
- Ashley Dettore
- Jillian DiFelice
- Tyler Downing
- Jaclyn Fournier
- Martha Garcia
- Rebecca Gear
- Tayla Ginnetti
- Mikel Godo
- Julia Henry
- Chyenne Jackson
- Kayla Jackson
- Michael James
- Mary Leach
- Dominic Lemaire
- Matthew Leonforte
- Caitlin Lodi
- Francis Lowry
- Jonathan Machado
- Melissa McCarthy
- Courtney McNeil
- Cheyenne Muise
- Ralf Osmanagaj
- Nicole Pavao
- Allen Pereira
- Trina Riley
- Michael Sholds
- Brianna Silva
- Callis Soumas
- Marissa Taylor
- Andrew Truong
- Mikayla Wallace
- Sean Walsh
- Richard Walus
- Bianca Welsh
- Samantha West
- Maynard Wheeler
- Hannah Yanofshy
- Mikalah York
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