Gustavus, on his part, determined to carry out his former projects,
to march against Ingolstadt, which he had before failed to capture,
and thence to penetrate into Upper Austria. But fearful lest
Wallenstein, released from his presence, should attempt to recover
the fortresses in Franconia, he despatched half his force under Duke
Bernhard to prevent the Imperial general from crossing the Rhine.
Could he succeed in doing this he would be in a position to dictate
terms to the emperor in Vienna.
On the 12th of October he reached Neuberg, on the Danube, and halted
there, awaiting the arrival of his siege train from Donauworth.
While making the most vigorous exertions to press on the necessary
arrangements for his march against Vienna he received the most
urgent messages to return to Saxony. Not only, as he was told, had
Wallenstein penetrated into that province, but he was employing
all his influence to detach its elector from the Protestant cause,
and there was great fear that the weak prince would yield to the
solicitations of Wallenstein and to his own jealousy of the King
of Sweden.
No sooner, in fact, had Gustavus crossed the Danube than Wallenstein
moved towards Schweinfurt, and by so doing drew to that place the
Swedish army under the command of Duke Bernhard. He then suddenly
marched eastward at full speed, capturing Bamberg, Baireuth, and
Culmbach, and pushed on to Colberg.
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