The Battle of Siikajoki was fought between Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 and Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n troops on April 18, 1808 at Siikajoki

Siikajoki

Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...

, near Oulu

Oulu

Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. During the first stage of the Finnish War

Finnish War

The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...

 the Swedish commander Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor

Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor

Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor was a Swedish noble military officer and one of the Lords of the Realm. He is probably best known from his time as field marshal during the Finnish War and for participating in the coup that dethroned Gustav IV of Sweden....

 had decided to retreat from southern Finland, so that the Swedes would gain time, and more troops could be moved to Finland via Tornio

Tornio

Tornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...

. The move was also made in case the Danes would take the opportunity attack Sweden.

The Battle of Pyhäjoki

Battle of Pyhäjoki

The Battle of Pyhäjoki was fought on 16 April 1808, at Pyhäjoki in Northern Ostrobothnia during the Russian–Swedish war of 1808–09.The winter made the operations more difficult and the battle of Pyhäjoki became one of the first skirmishes to be fought after the Swedish retreat stopped. The Russian...

, which had been fought two days earlier, was one of the first skirmishes of the war, but Siikajoki was the first major attempt to stop the advancing Russians. Carl Johan Adlercreutz

Carl Johan Adlercreutz

Carl Johan Adlercreutz was a Swedish and Finnish general of Finland Swedish birth, the chief promoter of the revolution of 1809. He told king Gustav IV to his face that Gustav ought to retire....

 had been appointed commander after count Löwenhjelm had been captured by the Russian at Pyhäjoki. The force commanded by Georg Carl von Döbeln

Georg Carl von Döbeln

Georg Carl von Döbeln was a Swedish friherre , Lieutenant General and war hero.-Early life:Georg Carl was born at the Stora Torpa manor in Segerstads parish in Västergötland to Johan Jakob von Döbeln and Anna Maria Lindgren...

 was trying to cross the river of Siikajoki when the Russians caught up with his force. Von Döbeln decided to take a stance on the south bank of the river. He first ordered a counter attack, but were forced to pull back. At that moment, the Russian enter is opening up and the newly appointed General Adjutant Adlercreutz orders another attack, which throws the Russians back and halted the Russian advance.

The Battle of Siikajoki is describet in the poem Adlercreutz in Runeberg's

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finnish poet, and is the national poet of Finland. He wrote in the Swedish language....

 epic Tales of Ensign Stål.

The Nyland Regiment distinguished themselves at the battle and today, the Siikajoki Cross can be worn by soldiers of the Uusimaa Brigade, which is the traditional heir.