Donauworth
is the key to Swabia; it stands on the Danube, and was a strongly
fortified place, its defences being further covered by fortifications
upon a lofty eminence close by, named the Schellemberg. It was held
by the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg with two thousand five hundred men.
The country round Donauworth is fertile and hilly, and Gustavus at
once seized a height which commanded the place. The Bavarians were
at work upon entrenchments here as the Swedes advanced, but were
forced to fall back into the town. From the foot of the hill a
suburb extended to the gates of the city. This was at once occupied
by five hundred musketeers, who took up their post in the houses
along the main road in readiness to repel a sortie should the
garrison attempt one; while the force on the hillside worked all
night, and by daybreak on the 27th had completed and armed a twenty
gun battery.
In this was placed a strong body of infantry under Captain Semple,
a Scotchman. As this battery commanded the walls of the town, and
flanked the bridge across the Danube, the position of the defenders
was now seriously menaced, but the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg refused
the demand of Gustavus to surrender. The battery now opened fire,
first demolishing a large stone building by the river occupied by
a force of Imperialists, and then directing its fire upon the city
gates.
The cannonade continued after nightfall, but in the darkness a
body of Imperialist horsemen under Colonel Cronenberg dashed out at
full speed through the gate, cut a passage through the musketeers
in the suburb, galloped up the hill, and fell upon the infantry
and artillery in the battery.
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