Translated by dr.hist. Eva Eihmane 

 

The History of the Riga College of the Society of Jesus in Livonia

1605

 

Charles of Södermanland sent Mansfeld to Livonia with a huge army and this time he ordered that the troops not be diverted to capture less important fortresses, as before, but instead head directly to the provincial capital, Riga. Thus, it seemed that the Livonian war began to regain force: armed with 14, 000 men, Mansfeld landed in Dünamunde [mod. Daugavgrīva] and, leaving the fortress, as he was instructed, dislocated the troops at the ditch, popularly known as Mühlen Graben [mod. Mīlgrāvis] on 15 August. The enemy was freely raiding around, devastating everything with fire and sword. Great alarm reigned in the city as the enemy’s approach was unexpected and Riga did not have a sufficient number or mercenaries; however, the City Council encouraged everyone, openly declaring that they preferred to endure the worst rather than surrender to the enemy’s yoke. Our church was ordered to hold a supplication for 40 hours, private prayers and voluntary fasts, as well as bodily penances were also undertaken, the more the danger was perceived to be imminent, the greater was our fervour. Mansfeld sent two envoys with letters and trumpeters to the city. Having approached, they, demonstrating respect and kneeling multiple times, showed the letters to the citizens who were observing them from the wall. The nobles, standing on the walls, exclaimed that the deceitful ones had to be chased away as they were coming to sway the citizens’ minds with gentle promises and assurances. One man even fired at them and is said to have killed two, the third one having escaped. Very much infuriated, as if the Rigaens had violated the laws of war, Mansfeld promptly ordered to set fire to St. Gertrude Church and even the surrounding buildings he found outside the walls. He only allowed the sanctuary of St. George to remain unharmed and even distributed alms to the poor, hoping to receive divine favour for the city's conquest. Then Mansfeld decided to test the Rigaens’ determination once again and sent other envoys with letters, trying to persuade the citizens to consider the state of the Polish affairs: their army was small, the king distant, the port already lost, and the Swedish army was enormous. He also promised generous privileges to the city, the subjugation of all castles in the environs as far as Kokenhausen [mod. Koknese] to the city, and similar concessions. The people of Riga replied that Mansfeld should have mercy on himself and his envoys: Riga had a lord, the King of Poland, and they did not wish to incur the crime of treachery; he should go away and never come back with such a message. Desperate to achieve the city’s surrender, Mansfeld attempted some lighter assaults but was repulsed every time. On the tenth day before the calends of October, King Charles himself arrived with the remaining troops to try his luck one last time: he surrounded the city, placing his forces in three positions. Charles sent envoys to the City Council, expressing his desire first to offer peace and safety to the citizens, should they accept it, in order to save them from more serious consequences. He stated that he had a just cause for anger against the Poles and just reasons for war: because they had attempted to impose papism and Jesuits upon the kingdom of Sweden contrary to law and to seize certain fortresses belonging to the kingdom. For this, he said, through a just war, he intended to defend Livonia and the city from this plague: to banish Jesuits, dedicate the college to the Augsburg Confession, bestow privileges on the city and extend its freedoms, subjugate fortresses in its environs, and do his utmost for the good of the city, provided the citizens were willing to surrender peacefully. Should they refuse peace, they would soon see the destruction of the city. He was given an oral reply, in almost the same words as sent to Mansfeld before: that the Jesuits were doing no harm to the city, and he should cease threatening it; they [citizens] said, they would find cannons and powder to restrict his intent. When Charles had built a camp and fortifications, and prepared attack equipment, he learned that Jan Karol Chodkiewicz with the Lithuanian army was approaching from deeper in Livonia. This unexpected arrival changed all of the Södermanlander’s plans; having lifted the siege, he went out to meet the approaching Lithuanian. About two German miles from the city there is a place called Kircholm, where about 400 years ago Meinhard sowed the first seeds of the Christian faith by building a church on an island there. There the first Christians gained their first military victory over the heathens and subjugated all of Livonia to the sweet yoke of faith. There the Lithuanian set up his camp, chose a place for a battle, and waited for the enemy and victory. Charles of Södermanland, relying on his numerical superiority, confidently marched on and was not so much planning a battle as victory. The day before [the battle] he hosted a feast for his men at the college’s Blumenthal manor, divided the yet ungained booty among the commanders, sang triumphant songs before yet unachieved victory, on the next day approached the battlefield and occupied a most prominent hill with his troops. When the two armies approached each other, it was remarkable how great was fervour on both sides, each striving to conquer or to fight. When both sides had taken their positions, the most illustrious Duke of Courland, Friedrich Kettler, crossed the River Daugava with 300 heavily armed cavalry to aid the Lithuanian. Upon seeing this, Chodkiewicz, full of hope, clearly perceived divine guidance. It was 27 September, the day of St. Stanislaus, the patron saint of Poland; he [Chodkiewicz] called on his men to act for the glory of God, the growth of the Church, the honour of the king, and the name of the Lithuanian nation,— to fight for their homeland, for life, for religion, and for the immortality of their name. They already seemed so inspired that they would not have hesitated to attack the enemy first, were it not for the commander’s order and the hill, where the enemy had the advantage. The Södermanlander, however, hesitates to attack the small groups; after understanding the situation, he prefers to permit their retreat. At around nine in the morning, when our men have long held their positions, they feign retreat, and the enemy, with loud shouts, pursues them and abandons the hill. Soon after, the Lithuanian soldiers turn back and restore the battle line to face the enemy’s flags again, advancing with greater spirit—fewer in number, rushing to certain death—while everywhere only the names of Jesus and Mary are heard. After a few hours of fighting, nine thousand of the enemy lie dead, and the rest are pursued in flight and killed. The Södermanlander, having barely escaped, retreats to his ships. This was truly a memorable victory, and it must be attributed only to God: the Lithuanian army numbered about 3,300 men, while the Swedish one consisted of 14,000 troops. Our forces lost 50 men, with 40 wounded. Two days later, Chodkiewicz victoriously entered Riga Castle with prisoners and spoils; afterwards, in our church, together with the most prominent soldiers, he solemnly sang the Ambrosian hymn as a sign of gratitude. On the 18th day before the calends of October, the noblemen who had fallen in the battle were solemnly laid to rest in our church with trumpets and drums, in the presence of the supreme commander. [...]

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 ¹ 10 days before 1 October, i.e., on 22 September

 ² It must be a mistake as the 18th day before the calends of October is 14 September.