nearly one o'clock in the morning
Had the king known earlier what was taking place , comparatively few of the Austrian army would have got across the river . But it was not until long after the battle was done that Frederick , sitting depressed and heavy hearted , dictating his despatches in the little church seven or eight miles away , learned that what had seemed likely to terminate in a terrible disaster , had ended with a decisive victory . Daun lost in the battle twelve thousand killed and wounded , eight thousand prisoners , and forty-five cannon ; while the Prussians lost between thirteen and fourteen thousand , of whom four thousand were prisoners . It was not until nearly one o'clock in the morning that Ziethen learned that the Austrians were already across the river . Then he pushed down into Torgau , and crossed the town bridge in time to capture twenty-six pontoons . Daun retreated by the right side of the river , Lacy by the left ; and the two forces rejoined at Dresden , and took up their position , as usual , in the Plauen stronghold ; while Frederick , after finishing the clearance of all Saxony save the capital , took up his winter quarters at Leipzig on the 6th of December . The result of the battle of Torgau was not to be measured by the respective losses of the two armies .