noon
`` The Swedes and Saxons have fought with the formidable Tilly near Leipsic , and have defeated him , and the word of God is again free in our dear Saxony . Here is the confirmation of it which an old friend has sent me from Halle . '' He read with a joyful trembling voice , `` On the 7th September _ anni currentis _ , there stood on the great plain of Leipsic more than 75,000 men opposed to each other as enemies , and it was to be looked upon as a happy omen , that shortly before the engagement a snow white dove perched upon a Saxon standard and afterward hovered over the whole line of battle of the protestants . At noon the cannonading commenced , the Swedes attacked and were at first victorious , but now Tilly threw himself with all his forces upon the Saxons , drove them back , and directed the guns taken from them against the Swedes . Some Saxon regiments , however , held out bravely until the Swedes came to their assistance . Then old Tilly was compelled at length to retreat , and had nearly been struck dead in his flight with the butt end of a pistol by a captain of the Rhinegrave regiment . He arrived here in a sad plight , and upon the side of the imperial army 7600 have been left dead on the field of battle .