At one place after crossing the Meuse, a battalion of chasseurs à pied in General de Langle’s Fourth Army was ordered at nightfall to hold a bridge which dynamite charges had failed to blow up. They spent a night of “anguish and horror” watching the Saxons of von Hausen’s Army on the opposite bank “burning the town and shooting the inhabitants under our eyes. In the morning flames rose from the village. We could see people running in the streets, pursued by the soldiers. There were shots… At a great distance we could see an endless movement of horsemen who seemed to be searching out our position: far away on the plain appeared dark masses marching.”
The masses approached and soon along the winding road a German infantry battalion in columns of five came “marching steadily toward us. The road below was filled as far back as one could see with a swarm of troops – columns of infantry preceded by the officers on horseback, artillery trains, transport, cavalry – almost a division, marching in perfect order.”
Source:
Tuchman, Barbara W. "Retreat." The Guns of August. New York: Macmillan, 1962. 377. Print.
Original Source Listed:
Libermann, 37-50.
Further Reading:
la Meuse / Mouze / Maas (River Meuse)
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