 At the same time, Soult led a small force, some 150 musket-men, across the river Linth — the men held their muskets over their heads and waded across, through water to their chests — and protected the crossing site for the remainder of the force. Baron von Hotze, commander of the Austrian force there, advanced on the position near Richterswil to direct its defense, and was killed by a French musket ball. His successor, Franz Petrasch, could not push the French back, and organized a retreat from the region, falling back to St. Gallen and losing another 8,000 men and some guns. By the time Suvorov arrived in St. Gallen in early October, the Austrians and the Russians had been pushed out and he was forced to lead his men over the Alps to the Vorarlberg, resulting in additional losses.
