SENLIS, Jan. 8, 1915.
Monsieur: You do me the honor to ask for my testimony as to the
actions of the enemy at Senlis at the time of the occupation, on the
2d of September.
I beg to send you my attestation, and express my confusion and regret
at not having been able to do so sooner.
On the 2d of September an engagement took place between the French and
German troops on the plain of Senlis from 10 o'clock till about
half-past 2, and it was ended by the bombardment of our beautiful
cathedral and a part of the city. The enemy entered the city about
half-past 3 and were received at the end of the Faubourg St. Martin by
a fusillade directed against them by delayed soldiers and a company
armed with machine guns, charged with arresting the pursuit of the
French Army, which was bending back toward Paris.
Immediately the superior officer, who was conversing with M. Odent,
the Mayor of Senlis, accused the civilians of having fired on the
German Army, and rendered him responsible for it. Then began the
burning of the whole Rue de la Republique. This untruth was
immediately spread about, and two hours after the affray a General
said at Villers-Saint-Frambourg what another General said next morning
at Nanteuil-le-Haudouin: That Senlis was burned because the civilians
had fired on the German Army. The thirty-seven hostages brought to
Chamant heard the same statement.
To this testimony I will add my own, which will only confirm what is
said above: As soon as the enemy arrived soldiers of the cyclist corps
obliged me to conduct them to the top of the belfry of our cathedral,
from which they pretended that they had been shot at. Their inspection
revealed nothing of what they thought to find, for I alone had the key
and I had confided it to no one. Some moments later I was consigned to
the Hotel du Grand-Cerf as a hostage. The German General Staff had
gone to Chamant. Some hours later I accosted a superior officer and
asked him what I should do, seeing no one of whom I could inquire the
reason for my arrest. "Remain here, where you will at least be in
safety. Poor curate! Poor Senlis! But, then, why did you receive us as
you did? The civilians shot at us, and we were fired at from the tower
of your church. So Senlis is condemned. You see that street in flames?
(and, in fact, the Rue de la Republique was burning everywhere, 114
houses in ruins) well, this night the city itself will be entirely
burned down. We have the order to make of Senlis a French Louvain. At
Louvain the Belgians shot at us from their houses, from their
belfries--Louvain no longer exists. Tomorrow it will be the same with
your place. We admit fighting among soldiers, that is war; but we are
pitiless with civilians. Paris and the whole of France need a terrible
example which shall remind them that warfare by civilians is a crime
that cannot be too severely punished."
My energetic protest against the accusation concerning the cathedral
and my other doubts formulated against the intervention of civilians
(I did not know what was the nature of the engagement in the Faubourg)
seemed to interest the officer, who promised to make a report to the
General and to plead our cause. Thanks to God, the sentence was
repealed; our poor Mayor and ten hostages were shot, but the city was
spared.
Such are the facts, which I thought might be of interest in your
researches. I am at your orders to complete them if you need more.
I beg you, Sir, to accept the expression of my most respectful
sentiments.
(Signed.) DOURLENT.
Curate Archpresbyter of Senlis.
No. 5.