berg, which commanded it. Its position was extremely strong, its
walls and bastions rising one behind another, and their aspect was so
formidable that they were popularly known as the "Devil's Works." From
these the garrison opened a very heavy fire into the town, killing
many of the Scots. Douglas, however, gave them but short respite, for
gathering his men he attacked the castle and carried bastion after
bastion by storm until the whole were taken.
About the same time the important town of Ulm on the Danube opened its
gates to the Swedes, and Sir Patrick Ruthven was appointed commandant
with 1200 Swedes as garrison, Colonel Munro with two companies of
musketeers marched to Coblentz and aided Otto Louis the Rhinegrave, who
with a brigade of twenty troops of horse was expecting to be attacked
by 10,000 Spaniards and Walloons from Spires. Four regiments of Spanish
horse attacked the Rhinegrave's quarters, but were charged so furiously
by four troops of Swedish dragoons under Captain Hume that 300 of them
were killed and the Elector of Nassau taken prisoner; after this the
Spaniards retired beyond the Moselle.
In other parts of Germany the generals of Gustavus were equally
successful. General Horn defeated the Imperialists at Heidelberg and
Heilbronn. General Lowenhausen scoured all the shores of the Baltic, and
compelled Colonel Graham, a Scotch soldier in the Imperial service,
to surrender the Hanse town of Wismar. Graham marched out with his
garrison, 3000 strong, with the honours of war en route for Silesia, but
having, contrary to terms, spiked the cannon, plundered the shipping,
and slain a Swedish lieutenant, Lowenhausen pursued him, and in the
battle which ensued 500 of Graham's men were slain and the colonel
himself with 2000 taken prisoner.
General Ottentodt was moving up the Elbe carrying all before him with a
force of 14,000 men, among whom were five battalions of Scots and one
of English. This force cleared the whole duchy of Mecklenburg, capturing
all the towns and fortresses in rapid succession. Sir Patrick Ruthven
advanced along the shores of Lake Constance, driving the Imperialists
before him into the Tyrol. Magdeburg was captured by General Banner, the
Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel reduced all Fulda-Paderborn and the adjacent
districts, the Elector of Saxony overran Bohemia, and Sir Alexander
Leslie threatened the Imperialists in Lower Saxony.
Thus the campaign of 1632 opened under the most favourable
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