This article originally appeared as two separate articles in CHAKOTEN, the magazine of the Danish Military History Society, in 1966 and 1967. The Society has kindly given permission to translate and print these articles in THE COURIER. All of the endnotes are the translator's. The maps used in this article were taken from ELEVEARSKRIGENS MILITAERE HISTORIE, published by the Norwegian General Staff, Oslo 1936.
Jumbo Map: Fjelkinge (slow: 193K)
SKIRMISH AT FJELKINGE 1710
In the beginning of the winter campaign of 1709-1710 in Skane during the Great Northern War several hard battles and skirmishes took place around Kristiansstad. The capture of this citywas one of the objectives of the Danish invasion corps. Skane's largest river, the Helgea, protected the city. The river ran in a southerly direction through eastern Skane and emptied into the Baltic at Ahus.
Early on the morning of 23 January 1710 Danish cavalry captured an important crossing at Torsebro after a short, but intense fight. Following this skirmish the Danes continued their march along the eastern bank of the Helgea towards Kristiansstad, which was now cut off. During the advance towards Kristiansstad three Swedish deserters appeared and reported that the Swedes had abandoned the city. The Swedish corps which consisted of 3 cavalry regiments and 3 infantry battalions had withdrawn in the direction of Solversborg. The Danish commander, Reventlow, ordered General Rodsten to set after the enemy with his dragoons (livregimentet dragoner). Rodsten's orders were to overtake the Swedes, and stop them until the cavalry 0. sjaellandske, 2. fynske, and 3. sjaellandske cavalry regiments) could assemble and come to his assistance.
Rodsten's dragoons raced forward and overtook the enemy rearguard 10 kilometers southeast of Toresbro near Nosaby. The rearguard had occupied and fortified a house close to the road which they blocked with some gateposts. The Danish cavalry rode over the gateposts, and past the house without paying attention to the musket fire. The now cut off rearguard surrendered. The dragoons then continued forward against the Swedish main bodywhich retired to the main road to Blekinge. When the Swedish leader, Goren Gyllenstjerna, saw however that he was only followed by 3 squadrons of about 200 men, he ordered his troops to take up a position in a field west of Fjekline. Hjarta's Vastgota cavalry regiment occupied the first line with all the squadrons in line under Colonel Cronberg.
Lewenhaupt's [1] and Gyllenstjerna's
[2] cavalry regiments were in
column behind the center. A battalion of infantry was in the rear in a position located next to the road over which the Danes were advancing.
This display of strength surprised Rodsten. He sent an adjutant back to
the Commander-in-Chief with a request for assistance as quickly as possible because the enemy stood in orderof battle. Reventlow immediately
ordered General Dewitz forward with all of the cavalry he had with him.
He let Rodsten know that he should advance on the enemy without concern for the Swedish numerical superiority, and if the Swedes wavered, constantly stick with them. Shortly afterwards Dewitz arrived with reinforcements, and the Danes attacked from both sides with great force.
The Swedish squadrons were defeated and retreated behind the infantry
who received the Danish cavalry with salvoes. The Danish cavalry did not
stop, but continued to pursue the defeated Swedish cavalry.
General Dewitz rode over to the surprised infantry battalion. He called
on them to lay down their arms if they wanted quarter otherwise they
would be cut down. The infantry did not have to thin kabout it twice and
they threw down their arms.
Later, many of them regretted their haste and
in resentment destroyed their weapons. Approximately 500 infantry
were taken prisoner. Only three officers escaped. In the meantime the
Danish cavalry attacked the Swedes with such violent force that they
broke and fled in panic. The pursuit stretched over several kilometers.
The rearmost Swedes were cut down to prevent the rest from stopping
and reforming.
It was now dark and General Reventlow ordered recall to be blown. He
feared that the Danish squadrons would mistake each other in the darkness. Besides the 500 infantry, 36 cavalry were taken prisoner as well as 4
colors, 3 standards, a set of pauker drums and the whole Swedish train.
The Danish loss amounted to a few dead and wounded cavalrymen.
After the Danish corps reformed, Reventlow advanced the same evening
to Ljunby east of Kristiansstad. Here a large store of provisions together
with an NCO and 9 men fell into Danish hands. A few Danish cavalrymen
began to plunder in Ljungby. When Reventlow got word of this he
immediately sent one of his adjutants to the scene of the crime, but the
guilty parties were gone. The inhabitants did not knowto which regiment
they belonged. Reventlow therefore allowed the farmers to estimate the
losses which they placed at 38 Riksdalerand which the General promptly
paid. During the night 16 Swedish cavlarymen deserted, the next day 22
more deserted, and the following day 5 more. The disorganization of the
Swedes was so complete that some fled to Smaland and other to Karlskrona. The Danish cavalry had by their courageous and bold attack caused the Swedish cavalry to be completely unusable in 3-4 days.
Unfortunately, General Reventlow did not get the opportunity to use his
obvious possibilities for a quick victory over the Swedish main army.
Frederik IV's hesitation and fumblingwas to blame forthis. On 3 February
the Danish corps turned about and withdrew back to the area around
Helsingborg.
Two Cavalry Actions Great Northern War 1710 and 1711
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