The general opinion of contemporary writers is certainly to the
effect that the King of Sweden was murdered by Franz Albert; but
the absolute facts must ever remain in doubt.
On the morning after the battle Wallenstein, having been joined
by Pappenheim's infantry, sent a division of Croats back to the
battlefield to take possession of it should they find that the
Swedes had retired; but on their report that they still held the
ground he retired at once from Leipzig, and, evacuating Saxony,
marched into Bohemia, leaving the Swedes free to accomplish their
junction with the army of the Elector, thus gaining the object for
which they had fought at Lutzen.
After the death of the king, Malcolm Graheme, full of grief and
rage at the loss of the monarch who was loved by all his troops,
and had treated him with special kindness, joined the soldiers
of Duke Bernhard, and took part in the charge which swept back
the Imperialists and captured the cannon on the hill. At the very
commencement of the struggle his horse fell dead under him, and he
fought on foot among the Swedish infantry; but when the arrival of
Pappenheim on the field enabled the Imperialists again to assume
the offensive, Malcolm, having picked up a pike from the hands
of a dead soldier, fought shoulder to shoulder in the ranks as
the Swedes, contesting stubbornly every foot of the ground, were
gradually driven back towards the road.
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