 Despite a peace treaty which had been signed between the peasants and the city of Bern, on May 30, 1653, Zürich assembled an army under the command of Conrad Werdmüller with the task to break any armed resistance once and for all times.Some 8,000 men with 800 horses and 18 cannons marched towards the Aargau.Already three days later, Werdmüller's army controlled the important crossing of the river Reuss at Mellingen.