Duke Charles intends leaving Nancy in six days to go towards the Jura.  He expects to take with him 2300 lances and 10,000 ordnance, which, joined to the feudal militia of Burgundy and Savoy, will swell his army to the number of 25,000 combatants.  His operations are so planned that he will have more to gain than to lose."[13]

When Charles left Nancy on January 11th, he issued one of his grandiloquent manifestoes declaring that he was acting in behalf of all princes and seigneurs who had suffered wrong at the hands of the Swiss, and that he was ready to punish all who had provoked his just wrath by ravaging his province of Burgundy.  It was rather a curious act on his part, to let his chief mercenary captain go off to make a pilgrimage just as he was on the eve of a campaign, but so he did, granting Campobasso leave of absence to visit the shrine of St. James at Compostella, a leave possibly utilised by the Italian to further the understanding with Louis XI., at which he arrived later.

On across the Jura marched the Burgundian army, while the Swiss diet came to a slow and confused decision to prepare to meet him.  He did not take the route generally expected, directly towards Berne, his chief antagonist, but turned aside and attacked the little fortress of Granson.  The castle was not over strong.  Efforts to provision it by water failed, and, finally, on February 28th, after a brief siege, the captain of the garrison, Hans Wyler, capitulated to the duke’s German forces, who represented to them that Charles was as generous as he was magnificent.

If the Milan ambassador can be trusted, the surrender was unconditional.  Charles was soon on the spot.  The four hundred and twelve soldiers, who had succeeded in holding the Burgundian army at bay for ten whole days, were made to march past his tent with bowed heads.  Then he ordered one and all to be hanged, reserving two to help in the executions.  Four hours were occupied in fulfilling these pitiless orders.  Panigarola arrived at the camp on the 29th,—­it was leap year, 1476,—­and found this accomplished and saw the bodies hanging on the trees, but he asserts that no word was broken.[14] Charles was now absolutely confident of complete success. “Bellorum eventus dubii sunt,” remarked the prudent Milanese, however, and he was proved right.

When the allied forces of the mountaineers finally arrived in the duke’s neighbourhood a hot pitched battle ensued.  The Burgundians, led by the duke in person, were thrown into utter confusion.  The mercenaries, terrified by the uncouth yells and battle-cries of Uri and Unterwalden, simply lost their heads and did nothing.  Charles was pushed on as far as Jougne.  It was not only a defeat, but a complete rout.  When the Swiss came in sight of the late garrison hanged to the trees, their rage knew no bounds.  In their turn they massacred, hanged, and drowned every one in Burgundian pay whom they could lay hands upon.  The Burgundians saved their lives when they could, but their valuable artillery and their baggage, the mass of riches that Charles carried with him were ruthlessly sacrificed, and gathered up contemptuously as booty by the Swiss, who cared little for the tapestries and jewels though they prized the gold.  Such was the battle of Granson, on the 2nd of March.