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Hundreds of citizens of Erfurt streamed from the city overnight in an effort to find a safe position from which to watch the battle north of the city. Perched on the top of the tower of the Mariendom cathedral, the editor was able to watch the intial part of the battle before smoke from the battle obscured his view. It appeared that several smaller formations of Sachsen troops converged on a single, large Hessian formation and both sides began firing at close range. The firing intensified before waves of Sachsen troops rushed into the smoke.
For nearly an hour or so, it was impossible to determine what was happening. Then a steady stream of soldiers began racing south from the melee. At first, cheers erupted from citizens loyal to the Hessian cause as it appeared that the charging Sachsens had been repulsed. As the number of fleeing troops grew larger, the smoke on the battlefield began to clear and several organized formations including cavalry could be seen. The cheering fell silent. As the Hessian formation had started the battle without cavalry, it was clear that the Sachsen forces had achieved victory.
One of the Sachsen brigades marched south in pursuit of the fleeing Hessians and less than a mile east of the city encountered a body of Hessian cavalry and artillery. After forming up in lines, Sachsen infantry fired volley after volley into the Hessian cavalry, which finally broke and fled following the same path south taken by the defeated infantry.
The commander of the Sachsen forces, Generalleutnant von Funck, refused make a public comment regarding the battle but has been reported to have described the battle as "a significant victory" in a private conversation with the mayor of the city and other city officials.
Prussian cavalry had been seen far to the northwest of the city but they withdrew early in the day and no other Prussian forces marched within view from the city. Some reports have reached the city that a larger Prussian force had been moving south but had changed direction and gone elsewhere.