The Swedes lost but 700 men, the Saxons about 2000.
The Swedes that night occupied the Imperial tents, making great
bonfires of the broken wagons, pikes, and stockades. A hundred
standards were taken. Tilly had fought throughout the battle with
desperate valour. He was ever in the van of his infantry, and
three times was wounded by bullets and once taken prisoner, and
only rescued after a desperate conflict.
At the conclusion of the day Cronenberg with 600 Walloon cavalry threw
themselves around him and bore him from the field. The fierce old
soldier is said to have burst into a passion of tears on beholding
the slaughter and defeat of his infantry. Hitherto he had been
invincible, this being the first defeat he had suffered in the
course of his long military career. Great stores of provision and
wine had been captured, and the night was spent in feasting in the
Swedish camp.
The next morning the Elector of Saxony rode on to the field to
congratulate Gustavus on his victory. The latter was politic enough
to receive him with great courtesy and to thank him for the services
the Saxons had rendered. He intrusted to the elector the task of
recapturing Leipzig, while he marched against Merseburg, which he
captured with its garrison of five hundred men.
After two or three assaults had been made on Leipzig the garrison
capitulated to the Saxons, and on the 11th of September the army was
drawn up and reviewed by Gustavus.
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