in Würzburg. Under considerable financial and personal efforts, Casimir prepared to repel the incursions into his territory. He summoned his subjects to arms and hired mercenaries. The Margrave had the duty to protect the free imperial city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. At Rothenburg, Casimir won his first victory over the peasants, and left the city with a rich booty. Shortly afterwards, however, the city council bowed for the citizens, who came to an arrangement with the peasants. The riots spread from Rothenburg into Casimir's territory, into the districts of Crailsheim, Lobenhausen-Anhausen, Werdeck-Gerabronn and Bamberg-Wiesenbach. Casimir withdrew to Ansbach and dug in. He tried to raise new troops in Upper Franconia, but they revolted. So Casimir was limited to using Bohemian mercenaries to defend his most fortified castles. The unorganized peasant armies were defeated in the Würzburg area by a coalition of the Swabian League and other allies of the bishop of Würzburg. Their resistance and morale collapsed due to their massive losses. Casimir, whose actions had earned him the nickname "Bloodhound", gained the upper hand. Rebel villages, most of whom surrendered without resistance, were pillaged and looted. Casimir also devastated villages in his own territory: he had entire villages burned down, and rebels were executed. Reportedly, he had 300 people killed in Feuchtwangen alone. In Kitzingen, he wanted to set an example: he promised the bailiff Louis von Hutten that the lives of the residents would be spared. After they surrendered, however, he punished them hard by chopping off their right hand index and middle fingers (the "oath fingers") and blinded them and sent them into exile. His "captain" Augistin stabbed the eyes of 58 people who had said they "wanted to see no more Margrave" before the rebellion. This act was even at the time seen as monstrous atrocities. He also punished Rothenburg and wrung territorial concessions from the city. Contemporary reports claim that the market squares of Rothenburg and Schweinfurt were dyed red by the blood of the beheaded rebels. Since Casimir was described as the imperial henchman, it can be assumed that he acted in accordance with the wishes of the Emperor or the Swabian League. He sent his brother John Albert to Bayreuth to punish the city for its lack of support when he was raising troops. He only ceased his punishments when it emerged in November 1526 that innocent people were affected as well.