Jellacic's Austrian column left Sargans on 24 September and marched south of the Walensee to seize Mollis. The following day, his troops tried without success to dislodge Molitor's brigade on the upper Linth River. On 26 September, Molitor launched a determined counterattack on Jellacic. When he found out about Hotze's defeat, Jellacic began a retreat which ended at Bad Ragaz in the Rhine valley. Meanwhile, Linkin's Austrians crossed the Panix Pass into the Sernftal and captured Schwanden on 26 September. Hearing of this second incursion, Molitor suspended his pursuit of Jellacic and hurried to deal with Linkin. Thus, the forces that Suvorov counted on to help him were being eliminated one by one. For his part, Masséna received a report from Lecourbe on 26 September that Suvorov captured the Gotthard Pass and would soon be at Altdorf. He immediately ordered General of Division Édouard Mortier to march to Schwyz with 7,800 soldiers and Soult's division to block the Linth valley.