to Louvain. The
houses along the road were burning and many dead bodies of civilians,
men and women, were seen on the way. Some of the principal streets in
Louvain had by that time been burned out. The prisoners were placed in a
large building on the cavalry exercise ground--"One woman went mad, some
children died, others were born." On the 29th the prisoners were marched
along the Malines road, and at Herent the women and children and men
over 40 were allowed to go; the others were taken to Boort Meerbeek, 15
kilometers from Malines, and told to march straight to Malines or be
shot. At 11 P.M. they reached the fort of Waelhem and were at first
fired on by the sentries, but on calling out they were Belgians were
allowed to pass. These prisoners were practically without food from
early morning on the 26th until midnight on the 29th. Of the corpses
seen on the road, some had their hands tied behind their backs, others
were burned, some had been killed by blows, and some corpses were those
of children who had been shot.

Another witness, a man of independent means, was arrested at noon by the
soldiers of the One Hundred and Sixty-fifth Regiment and taken to the
Place de la Station. He was grossly ill-treated on the way and robbed by
an officer of his purse and keys. His hands were tied behind his back.
His wife was kept a prisoner at the other side of the station. He was
then made to march with about 500 other prisoners until midnight, slept
in the rain that night, and next day, having had no food since leaving
Louvain, was taken to the church in Rotselaer, where there were then
about 1,500 prisoners confined, including some infants. No food was
given, only some water. Next day they were taken through Wespelaer and
back to Louvain. On the way from Rotselaer to Wespelaer fifty bodies
were seen, some naked and carbonized and unrecognizable. When they
arrived at Louvain the Fish Market, the Place Marguerite, the cathedral,
and many other buildings were on fire. In the evening about 100 men,
women, and children were put in horse trucks from which the dung had not
been removed, and at 6 the next morning left for Cologne.

The wife of this witness was also taken prisoner with her husband and
her maid, but was separated from him, and she saw other ladies made to
walk before the soldiers with their hands above their heads. One, an old
lady of 85, (name given,) was dragged from her cellar and taken with
them to the station. They