This Saxon officer had, nevertheless, already witnessed like
"atrocities." The preceding day, Aug. 25, at Villers-en-Fagne, (Belgian
Ardennes,) "where we found grenadiers of the guard, killed and wounded,"
he had seen "the cure and other inhabitants shot"; and three days
previous, Aug. 23, at the village of Bouvignes, north of Dinant, he had
witnessed what he thus describes:
Through a breach made in the rear we get access into the
residence of a well-to-do inhabitant and occupy the house.
Passing through a number of apartments, we reach a door where
we find the corpse of the owner. Further on in the interior
our men have wrecked everything like vandals. Everything has
been searched. Outside, throughout the country, the spectacle
of the inhabitants who have been shot defies any description.
They have been shot at such short range that they are almost
decapitated. Every house has been ransacked to the furthest
corners, and the inhabitants dragged from their hiding places.
The men shot; the women and children locked into a convent,
from which shots were fired. And, for this reason, the convent
is about to be set fire to; it may, however be ransomed if it
surrenders the guilty ones and pays a ransom of 15,000 francs.
Pages:
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158