with a French force near
Charleroi. It took them seven days to reach Rouen by way of Amiens.
There they were embarked for sea transport to Ostend. At Ostend, they
joined the main Belgian army after its retreat from Antwerp.

On Sunday morning, August 23, 1914, the Germans began the bombardment of
Fort Suarlee. This fort repeated the heroic resistance of Fort
Boncelles at Liege. It held out until the afternoon of August 25. It was
apparently then blown up by the explosion of its own magazine, thus
again repeating the end of Fort Loncin at Liege. Meantime the Germans
had succeeded in reducing Forts Cognelee and Emines.

The Germans entered Namur on the afternoon of August 23, 1914. There
seems to have been some oversight in the plan, for the advance guard
found themselves under fire of their own guns directed upon the citadel
and the Grande Place. This, however, was speedily rectified. Their
behavior was much the same as at Louvain and Brussels. They marched in
with bands playing and singing patriotic songs. Proclamations were at
once issued warning the citizens not to commit any hostile act. The
inhabitants were far too cowed to contemplate anything but submission.
Good discipline was preserved. The city took fire that night probably by
deliberate design of the invaders. The citizens were induced to come
forth from their cellars and hiding places to reopen the cafes and
shops.

General von Buelow entered Namur on Monday morning August 24, 1914. He
was accompanied by Field Marshal Baron von der Goltz, recently appointed
Governor General of Belgium. Previous to the former Balkan War he had
been employed in reorganizing the Turkish army. An onlooker in Namur
thus describes the German Field Marshal:--"An elderly gentleman covered
with orders, buttoned in an overcoat up to his nose, above which gleamed
a pair of enormous spectacles."

General Michel attributed his defeat to the German siege guns. The fire
was so continuous upon the trenches that it was impossible to hold them,
and the forts simply crumpled under the storm of shells. But back of
General Michel's plea the allied Intelligence Departments lacked
efficiency or energy, or both, in not gaining more than a hint, at any
rate, of the enormous German siege guns until they were actually
thundering at the gates.

CHAPTER VIII

BATTLE OF CHARLEROI

Toward the end of the third week of August, 1914, the atmosphere of
every European capital became tense with