e sight. Houses were burned down, the
inhabitants chased away and some of them shot. Not one of the
hundreds of houses were spared. Everything was plundered and
burned. Hardly had we passed through this large village before
the next village was burned, and so it went on continuously.
On the 16th August, 1914, the large village of Barchon was
burned down. On the same day we crossed the bridge over the
Meuse at 11:50 in the morning. We then arrived at the town of
Wandre. Here the houses were spared, but everything was
examined. At last we were out of the town and everything went
in ruins. In one house a whole collection of weapons was
found. The inhabitants without exception were shot. This
shooting was heart-breaking, as they all knelt down and
prayed, but that was no ground for mercy. A few shots rang out
and they fell back into the green grass and slept for ever."
["Die Einwohner wurden samt und sonders herausgeholt und
erschossen: aber dieses Erschiessen war direkt herzzerreisend
wie sie alle knieben und beteten, aber dies half kein
Erbarmen. Ein paar Schuesse krackten und die fielen ruecklings
in das gruene Gras und erschliefen fuer immer."]

VALLEYS OF MEUSE AND SAMBRE.

While the First Army, under the command of General Alexander von Kluck,
was mastering the passages of the Meuse between Vise and Namur, and
carrying out the scheme of devastation which has already been described,
detachments of the Second German Army, under General von Buelow, were
proceeding up the Meuse valley toward Namur. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, the
town of Huy, which stands half way between Namur and Liege, was seized.
On Aug. 20 German guns opened fire on Namur itself. Three days later the
city was evacuated by its defenders, and the Germans proceeded along the
valley of the Sambre through Tamines and Charleroi to Mons. Meanwhile a
force under General von Hausen had advanced upon Dinant, by Laroche,
Marche, and Achene, and on Aug. 15 made an unsuccessful assault upon
that town. A few days later the attack was renewed and with success,
and, Dinant captured, von Hausen's army streamed into France by Bouvines
and Rethel, firing and looting the villages and shooting the inhabitants
as they passed through.

The evidence with regard to the Province of Namur is less voluminous
than that relating to the north of Belgium. This is largely due to the
fact