Battle of Nykarleby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Nykarleby |
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| Part of the Finnish War | |||||||
 Döbeln i striden vid Ny Karleby, by Gunnar Hallström |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Sweden |
 Russian Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Carl Johan Adlercreutz |
Ivan Fedorovich Jankovic de Mirijevo |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 1,300 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed 3 wounded |
70 killed, wounded and captured | ||||||
The Battle of Nykarleby was a small but important fight during the Finnish War (1808-1809). It happened between the armies of Sweden and the Russian Empire. This battle took place in the town of Nykarleby in Finland.
What Happened at Nykarleby?
The Swedish army, led by General Carl Johan Adlercreutz, was pushing forward in their summer campaign. He hoped to trap the main Russian army in Nykarleby. The Swedish attack started on Midsummer's Eve, a special holiday.
However, the Russian soldiers had already left the town. They had moved back to Vaasa, another city where more Swedish troops were arriving by sea.
The Russian Retreat
As the Russian forces pulled back, they were led by a commander named Jankovitch. They met some smaller Swedish groups who were guarding the Russian retreat. Jankovitch's soldiers crossed the bridge in the middle of Nykarleby and then burned it down. This made it harder for the Swedes to follow them quickly.
On their way to Vaasa, the Russians also ran into a small Swedish unit led by Major Carl von Otter. A brief fight happened there. After this, the Swedish troops decided to stop in Nykarleby to celebrate Midsummer. The people of Nykarleby were very kind and offered the Swedish soldiers food and drinks.
The Legend of Döbeln
There is a famous story about General Georg Carl von Döbeln. He was marching at the front of the Pori Regiment. The legend says he became very angry when he saw the Russians retreating and the burned bridge. He was upset that their surprise attack had failed.
The story tells that he ran into the river, and his soldiers bravely followed him. He almost drowned, and his men had to pull him out. Luckily, the Battle of Nykarleby ended up being a fight with very few casualties.
The Outcome
The Swedish army won a small victory at Nykarleby. However, their celebrations after the battle caused a delay. This meant they could not reach Vaasa in time to help the other Swedish soldiers who were landing there.
