The Battle at Selånger, 300 years ago today

[BB5000]

On May 25th, 1721, a Russian naval force of ~90 vessels bombarded Sundsvall and ~2000 soldiers invaded the town. The defensive force was some 150 men, the backbone was the cavalry company of Jämtland with some 80 men commanded by Lt Lindstedt. The force commander was Maj. Johan Henrik Fieandt, born in Estonia (then a part of Sweden) , a veteran of many battles  (at Narva for example). Heavily outnumbered, the force retreated inland to a better defensive position at a bridge over a small creek and managed to hold the invaders back for about an hour. The Russians crossed the creek in other places and threatened to surround the force, which then withdrew to the village of Selånger. The uneven battle ended there, many of the defenders wounded or killed. Lt Lindstedt was wounded with 5 bullets and died later on a Russian ship. 47% of the cavalry company was lost.

 

Maj. Fieandt withdrew, riding south,  and was pursued by 3 cossacks. He shot the first, killed the second with his rapier, and fought the third one with his bare hands until both were too tired to fight. They agreed to part ways with a handshake. Maj. Fieandt got some medical attention at a farm and gave the farmer his rapier when he was fit to travel on.

 

The Russians raided and burned Sundsvall and some 200 farms in the countryside. This was the last battle of The Great Northern War and a peace treaty was signed. Sweden lost the Baltic provinces to Russia.

 

The rapier can be found at a museum in Härnösand.

https://bildix.mmcloud.se/bildix/api/images/a0735a0e-ae40-4518-a824-d01ad1986add.jpeg?fit=crop&w=750

 

Oh, and I live in Sundsvall btw, near the farm where Maj. Fieandt sought shelter. My work office is next to the bridge over the creek.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by BB5000

[Heliopause]

Was at lake Vattern couple of years ago and saw graves of Russians. Was thinking of ww2 but that couldn't be.

Turned out to be POW's from around 1868. Always nice to discover some history.

[BB5000]

14 hours ago, Heliopause said:

Was at lake Vattern couple of years ago and saw graves of Russians. Was thinking of ww2 but that couldn't be.

Turned out to be POW's from around 1868. Always nice to discover some history.

Maybe 1808 ? The Finnish War was the last (or latest) armed conflict between Sweden and Russia, where Finland was lost in 1809.

Edited May 26, 2021 by BB5000

[Heliopause]

Hello BB,

 

I had to look those pics up on my old pc and found them. Period of the graves is 1860-1894. 80 men buried.

I believe they where put to work as POW's in that area. You can probably translate the text on the plate.

 

 

 

 

[BB5000]

Translated: "Here lies ~80 men from the "State Working Corps" , buried 1860-1894. They carried the stone to the Karlsborg Fortress". The "Kronoarbetskåren" was some kind of pioneer corps or prison labor force. Not POW's but people (soldiers among them also) that commited minor crimes, hobos etc.

They took part in the construction of the Karlsborg Fortress, a fortification in the central south of Sweden. The idea was to use this as a reserve capital for the government in case the Russians (again) should invade and take the capital Stockholm. By the time the fortress was ready in 1909 after 90 years (!), it was obsolete .

 

https://www.vastsverige.com/en/karlsborg/karlsborgs-fastning---eng/

 

Of interest is that the regiment where I did my military service is based here, the cavalry regiment "Livregementets Husarer" or K3 (no horses though, it's a Ranger unit) together with the paratrooper unit FJS.

Edited May 26, 2021 by BB5000