Latour was among the Ban’s most active supporters. In the meantime the Hungarian army, numbering 5,000 soldiers on September 18, was growing. Batthyány continued to send new volunteers, regular regimental and honvéd infantry, and hussar units, as well as artillery batteries to the camps at Veszprém, and later at Székesfehérvár. The number of soldiers was over 11,000 on September 21, 13,000 on the 23rd, reached 16,000 on the 25th, and 17,500 on the 28th. The Hungarian command wanted to hold up the Ban’s army in the Székesfehérvár area. However, on September 26 after a short rear guard action, they gave up the city and retreated towards the northern shore of the Lake Velence. Seeing that the Hungarians would not surrender to Jelačić without a fight, the political circles from Vienna attempted to put the genie, unleashed by themselves, back in the bottle. On September 25 the Emperor appointed Lieutenant General Count Franz Philipp von Lamberg as royal commissioner and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Senechal György Mailáth as royal governor of Hungary. Battyány hoped that Lamberg would be able to restrain Jelačić and, since he had been informed that Lamberg would visit the camp, Batthyány himself rushed there to reinforce Lamberg’s appointment. The news about Lamberg's appointment created uncertainty and conflict among the officers from the Hungarian army because it stated, with the signature of the king, to whom they had sworn, that they should not fight against Jelačić. On 27 September Jelačić was informed by an envoy of Batthyány about Lamberg's appointment, and withdrew the attack order which he had planned for the next day, agreeing with the Hungarians for 24 hours ceasefire, waiting for Lamberg to arrive at his headquarters from Székesfehérvár. But the next day Lamberg din not come, because he went to Pest, so Jelačić gave the order to attack the Hungarians on the next day. On 28 September Jelačić sent order to Roth, who was advancing through Tolna county, to enter and remain in Székesfehérvár, because he, with the main Croatian forces, will take Buda easily. In the meantime and in Batthyány’s absence, by Kossuth’s motion, the Parliament declared Lamberg a traitor and appointment as unlawful. The Parliament's mistrust in the authenticity of the royal manifesto with Lamberg's appointment was reinforced by the fact that the ministerial countersignature was missing from it. Lamberg, consequently, fell victim to an enraged mob on the pontoon bridge