The Lion of the North: A Tale of the Times of Gustavus AdolphusHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
The Lion of the North: A Tale of the Times of Gustavus Adolphus
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden, 1594-1632 -- Fiction; Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 -- Fiction
The day was breaking now, and the roar of battle in the city mingled
with that at the gates, where the Swedes were in vain striving to effect
an entrance. Gradually the Scotch won their way forward; 500 of the
Bavarians were killed, in addition to 400 who had fallen on the bridge.
The rest now attempted to fly. Great numbers were drowned in the Danube,
and the remainder were taken prisoners. The streets were encumbered by
the heavily laden baggage wagons, and a vast amount of booty fell into
the hands of the Scotch, who thus became masters of the town before
Gustavus and his Swedes had succeeded in carrying the gate.
The king now entered the town, and as soon as order was restored
Hepburn's brigade recrossed the Danube and threw up a strong work on
the other side of the bridge; for Tilly was on the Lech, but seven miles
distant, and might at any moment return. He had just struck a severe
blow at Marshal Horn, who had recently taken Bamberg. His force, 9000
strong, had been scattered to put down a rising of the country people,
when Tilly with 16,000 fell upon them.
A column under Bauditzen was attacked and defeated, and Tilly's horsemen
pursued them hotly to the bridge leading to the town. Marshal Horn threw
a barricade across this and defended it until nightfall. Tilly had then
fallen back before the advance of Gustavus to a very strong position
on the Lech. This was an extremely rapid river, difficult to cross and
easily defensible. Tilly had broken down the bridges, and was prepared
to dispute till the last the further advance of the Swedes. He placed
his army between Rain, where the Lech falls into the Danube, and
Augsburg, a distance of sixteen miles--all the assailable points being
strongly occupied, with small bodies of cavalry in the intervals to give
warning of the approach of the enemy. He had been joined by Maximilian
of Bavaria, and his force amounted to 40,000 men.
Gustavus gave his army four days' rest at Donauworth, and then advanced
with 32,000 men against the Lech. His dragoons, who had been pushed
forward, had found the bridges destroyed. He first attempted to repair
that at Rain, but the fire of the artillery and musketry was so
heavy that he was forced to abandon the idea. He then made a careful
reconnaissance of the river, whose course was winding and erratic.
Finding that at every point at which a crossing could be easily effected
Tilly's batteries and troops commanded the position, he determined to
make his attack at a point where the river made a sharp bend in the form
of a semicircle, of which he occupied the outer edge. He encamped the
bulk of his army at the village of Nordheim, a short distance in the
rear, and erected three powerful batteries mounting seventy-two guns.
One of these faced the centre of the loop, the others were placed
opposite the sides.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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