Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XVII. Gustavus II. Adolphus. The German War. A.D. 1628—1632
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
2G6
Treaty with France.
Reduction of Pomerania. HISTORY OF THE SWEDES. storming of Frankfort
on the Oder. [1628-
pearance in Germany, to conclude in Italy a
favourable pfiiee with Spain and Austria’, re-
newed the proffer of its alliance ;
and Charnace’,
who had from the bcfrinning watched his progress,
again opened negotiations 2. After manifold diffi-
culties, in reference to the cei-emonial, wherein
Gustavus Adolphus contended for and enforced
the principle of the equality of all kings, a treaty
of subsidy was concluded with France at Beerwald,
on the 13th of January, 1631, for six years, reckon-
ing from the first proposal in Westeras, March 5,
163(1. The king was to receive for the year already
expired 120,0i)0 rix-doUars, and thereafter yearly
400,000; binding himself in return to maintain
at least thirty thousand infantry, and six thou-
sand cavalry, to concede free exercise of the
Catholic religion in the jilaces which should be
subdued by his arms, and neutrality to the League,
if its members solicited and themselves observed
that condition.
The king had advanced along the Oder into
Brandenburg. He moved first upon Landsberg,
but Tilly coining betimes to the relief of this
fortress, he converted the siege into a blockade,
and forbore (m this occasion to attack Frankfort,
where Tilly had already taken post with thirty-
four thousand men. Horn remained in the neigh-
bourhood of Landsberg to observe Tilly ;
the
king drew back to Stettin, and from that point
made a flank movement, amid cold and snow, upon
Mecklenburg and Pomerania ^. There one strong
place after another. New Brandenburg, Loitz,
Malcliin, and lastly Demmin, with the magazines
of the Imperialists, fell within a short time into
his hands. " Such a general," says the Scotsman
Monro, then in the service of Gustavus Adolphus,
" would I gladly serve ;
but such a general I shall
hardly see ;
whose custom was to be the first and
last in danger himself, gaining his officers’ love,
in being the companion both of their labours and
dangers ;
for he knew well how his soldiers should
be taught to behave themselves, according to the
circumstances both of time and place ;
and being
’
Richelieu says himself of the French negotiators of
the peace of Chierasco,
"
They will find it more easy than
they would have done, by the advantage which the king’s
afTd’rs will receive from the descent of the king of Sweden
on Germany ; for he wil! raise against them so mighty a
storm of war, that the whole house of Austria will be shaken
by it, and their empire in such extremity, that tliey will hold
themselves for lost." (11 y rencontrera plus de facilite qn’il
n’eiit fait, &c.) Memoires de Richelieu, vi. 395.
2 " The French ambassador has again been here, and has
offered us 120, OnO rix-dollars (£27,000). so long as their army
is occupied with the Italian war, and afterward, 400,000 rix-
dollars (£90,000), yearly. We are in need of money, but de-
sire to have your opinion." The king to the chancellor. Stet-
tin, July 23, 1630. Reg.
3 " We brake up from Stettin, taking our march towards
New Brandenburg, the earth clad over with a great storm of
snow, being liard frost. We carried along gruat cannons of
battery, and a number of small cannon, being well provided
with all things belonging to artillery; our little army con-
sisting then of 8000 horse and foot, having left the rest of the
army under conmiRnd of the field-marshal Horn, before
Landsberg in the Mark." Monro, Expedition with the wor-
thy Scots’ regiment, called Mac Key’s regiment. London,
1637, ii. 14. Before the investment of Demmin the king re-
ceived a reinf.ircement by ni:ijnr-general Kniphausen, and
had then l.’i.OOO men fit for service, accordmg to the lists
of the men in health or sick, which all the colonels were
careful of their credits, he would not suffer their
weakness or defects to be discerned, being ready-
to foresee all things which did belong to the health
of his soldiers and his own credit. He knew also
the devices and engines of his enemy, their counsel,
their armies, their art, their discipline ;
as also
the nature and situation of the places they com-
manded *
;
.so that he could not be neglective in
any thing belonging to his charge. He never
doubted to put in execution what he once com-
manded; and no alteration was to be found in his
orders; neither did he like well of an officer that
was not as capable to understand his directions as
he was ready in giving them. Nevertheless, he
would not suffer an officer to part from him till
he found he was understood by the receiver of the
order." Of difficulties he made little account.
He placed under arrest an officer who, during the
improvement of the fortifications of Stettin, wished
to excuse his non-performance of duty on the plea
that the ground was frozen, remarking, that "in
matters which the necessity of the war requires
there is no excuse."
After the reduction of Colberg, Greifswald was
the only place in Pomerania remaining untaken,
which fortress first capitulated in June after the
death of its brave commandant. Tilly, burning
with anger at the conduct of most of the other
commandants, broke into Mecklenburg after the
king, and retook New Brandenburg. His manner
of war was displayed in the circumstance of his
there putting to the sword two thousand Swedes^,
whom their sovereign’s order to retreat had not
reached. One hundred and fifty others allowed
themselves to be cut down in the little place of
Feldberg rather than give it up. After these
actions, Tilly returned to the siege of Magdeburg.
Immediately the king advanced towards Frankfort
on the Oder, with eighteen thousand men and two
hundred pieces of cannon, which were conveyed
by the river. On the 2nd of April he began to
fire upon the town, which six thousand men de-
fended ;
the following day it was taken by storm 8.
obliged to give in to the king, a usage mentioned by Monro
as peculiar to the Swedish army. The Swedish fleece-jackets
stood the soldiers in good stead during this winter campaign.
< L. c. ii. 16. The want of good plans, and the great im-
portance which the king attached to accurate local know-
ledge, often on that very account exposed iiim in recog-
noscing to great personal hazards, especially as he was
near-sighted. Thus at the siege of Demmin, during a
recognoscence, the king, with his spy-glass in his hand, fell
up to his waist in a marsh, the ice breaking under him. The
Scottish captain Dumaine, who had the nearest guard, would
have hastened to his aid, but the king beckoned to him with
his hat to keep still, in order not to draw the enemy’s atten-
tion towards him, who meanwhile directed a sharp fire upon
tlie point. Under a shower of balls, which luckily did not
injure him, the king extricated himself, and took a seat by
this officer’s watch-fire, who took the liberiy of finding fault
with him for so needlessly exposing his life. The king heard
him patiently, and admitted his error; but he could not
help it. he said, his disposition being such, that he thought
notliing well done which he did not himself. He presently
took a heavy dinner and a large draught of wine in his cold
tent, then proceeded to change his clothes, and so went again
anions his troops.
5
Khevenliiiller says :
" because they had unanimously
resolved rather to die than to surrender."
s When the Swedes approached the town, the Imperialists
called to tliem: "Ye herriug-eaters, have ye devoured all
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
