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
Even now, when all was lost, Tilly's veterans fought with extreme
bravery and resolution; but at last, when Butler had fallen, and
Schomberg and Montecuculi, and a few other officers had succeeded in
escaping, all resistance ceased. Four colonels, 36 officers, and 3000
men were killed. Fifty colours and ten baggage wagons, laden with gold
and silver plate, were captured.
Many were taken prisoners, and hundreds were drowned in the Oder, across
which the survivors of the garrison made their escape. Plundering at
once began, and several houses were set on fire; but Gustavus ordered
the drums to beat, and the soldiers to repair to their colours outside
the town, which was committed to the charge of Sir John Hepburn, with
his regiment.
The rumour that Magdeburg was the next object of attack circulated among
Tilly's troops the day after they marched west from New Brandenburg. It
originated in some chance word dropped by a superior officer, and seemed
confirmed by the direction which they were taking which was directly
away from the Swedish army. There was a report, too, that Count
Pappenheim, who commanded a separate army, would meet Tilly there, and
that every effort would be made to capture the town before Gustavus
could march to its assistance.
Malcolm could easily have made his escape the first night after leaving
New Brandenburg; but the distance to be traversed to join the Swedish
army was great, confusion and disorder reigned everywhere, and he had
decided that it would be safer to remain with the Imperialist army until
Gustavus should approach within striking distance. On the road he kept
with the other two men who had been taken with the horses from the
syndic of the weavers, and, chatting with them when the convoy halted,
he had not the least fear of being questioned by others. Indeed, none of
those in the long train of carts and wagons paid much attention to their
fellows, all had been alike forced to accompany the Imperialists, and
each was too much occupied by the hardships of his own lot, and by
thoughts of the home from which he had been torn, to seek for the
companionship of his comrades in misfortune.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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