On the extreme left, meanwhile, the "Green" brigade had come to close-quarters with Wallenstein's infantry and guns about Liitzen, and the heavy artillery had gone forward to close range between the "Green" and the "Yellow" infantry. But the news of Gustavus's death spread and the fire of the assault died out. Wallenstein recaptured his guns and drove the Swedes back.
But the fiery Duke Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar took up the com mand and ordered a fresh advance. He was too good a soldier to waste his reserves and only brought up a few units of the second line to help the disordered brigades of the first. Again the Imper ialists were driven in and their guns recaptured, this time all along the line. About three in the afternoon the Swedes were slowly bearing back Wallenstein's stubborn infantry when Pappenheim appeared. The famous cavalry leader had brought on his mounted men ahead of the infantry and asking, "Where is the king of Sweden?" charged at once in direction of the enemy's right. Wal lenstein thus gained time to re-establish his order, and once more the now exhausted brigades of the Swedish first line were driven over the road. But Pappenheim fell in the moment of victory, and his death disheartened the Imperialists, whereas the fall of Gustavus had filled the Swedes with furious energy. For the last
time, Bernhard, wounded as he was, forced the Swedish army to the attack. The three infantry brigades of his second line had only been engaged in part, and, as usual, the last closed reserve, resolutely handled, carried the day. Wallenstein's army made good its retreat under cover of darkness, and the Swedes slept on the battlefield. Robbed of their leader they failed to gain the strategic profit of their victory. Of the losses on either side no accurate statement can be given, but the Swedish "Green" and "Yellow" brigades are said to have lost five-sixths of their numbers. Near the spot where Gustavus fell a granite boulder was placed in posi tion on the day after the battle. A canopy of cast-iron was erected over this Schwedenstein in 1832, and close by, a chapel, built by Oskar Ekman, a citizen of Gothenburg (d. 1907), was dedicated on Nov. 6, 1907.
Liitzen is famous also as the scene of a victory of Napoleon over the Russians and Prussians on May 2, 1813. (See NAPOLEONIC CAMPAIGNS.) This battle is often called Gross Gorschen.