Conquest of Jemtland
Encyclopedia
The Conquest of Jemtland (Återerövringen av Jämtland) refers to the Norwegian
(re-)conquest of the province of Jämtland
in the summer of 1677 during the Scanian War
. The conquest was short-lived; Sweden
was able to regain control of the province in November the same year.
from Jämtland. However, the crises on the other fronts had repeatedly drawn away the troops that would have participated in such an attack.
had moved south to reinforce the army of Ulrik Frederick Gyldenløve. This presented an opportunity for advancing across the Norwegian border. The attacking force was to be led by Carl Larsson Sparre, the governor-general of Västernorrland county. He had at his disposal a force of 1,700 men, of which three companies were local men from Jämtland. However, he was unable to feed these troops, and furthermore the troops, who hadn't received payment in ten months, had dispersed across Norrland
to live meagerly off the land, which had been ravaged by famine for several years. Thus, the planned attack had to be abandoned.
That summer Swedish reconnaissance indicated that the Norwegians were themselves gathering forces in Trondheim and Røros
and preparing for an attack across the border. Sparre received a dispatch from Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
encouraging him to prevent this attack by moving his men either towards Trondheim or alternatively to Røros and on through the valley of Gudbrandsdal
to Värmland
. Sparre chose the latter alternative, detaching major Carl Rutencrantz with a force to Oviken, but delaying his own departure to await a promised complement of 1,400 men from Österbotten. Sparre also attempted to muster troops and supplies from Jämtland itself, but like in Skåne and Bohuslän
the people were still loyal to their former masters. The Swedes were barely tolerated, and promised supplies and horses never appeared. When the troops from Österbotten finally arrived, they numbered only 290, and were poorly armed and trained. Short of ammunition
and unable to feed his troops, Sparre was again forced to scatter his troops to live off the land.
News now arrived of the Norwegians crossing the border. Sparre was now in an even more precarious position: his defensive positions were in disrepair and he had no means to strengthen them. There were only fourteen cannon
at his disposal.
On August 16, a large Norwegian force attacked Rutencrantz' positions at Oviken. The engagement had barely begun when the Jämtlandians abandoned their positions and defected to the Norwegians. The remaining Swedish dragoon
s held their positions and continued fighting into the night until they were overrun.
Before news of this action had reached Sparre, he had decided to move his remaining troops north to Brunflo
in order block the Norwegians' access to Storsjön
. While the infantry marched overland, the artillery was to be transported by boat. At his arrival, Sparre found only 400 men and the artillery lost, and retired to Gullesundsbro. There he learned that Rutencrantz' detachment in Oviken had been defeated. This prompted him to rush to Borgsjö to regroup. His army had been reinforced to 1,700 men but he dared not attempt to stop the Norwegian force, as he had convinced himself he was surrounded by larger enemy numbers.
The Norwegians had captured about 400 men and four cannon. A medal
was struck to commemorate the victories and celebrate the reconquest of the former Norwegian province. On the Swedish side, blame of the failure was directed at Sparre, who in turn blamed his scant supplies and paucity of men. Charles XI
was a stern master and relieved him, naming Jacob Fleming governor-general of Jämtland in his stead. Field marshal Henrik Horn was ordered to lead the troops in the general area of Stockholm
to defend Norrland. Horn assembled his men in Medelpad
in the fall of 1677 and had hardly begun his march into the Jämtland when news reached him that the Norwegians had already left. Reconnoitering Swedish cavalry had given them the impression that a larger force was arriving, so they left Jämtland November 1 after burning their stores. This was a stroke of luck for the Swedes, as Norrland was still suffering from the famine, and it would have been near impossible to find supplies for his men.
As he was entering Jämtland, Horn received a letter from the king, where he was ordered to investigate the reports of treachery from the local people. In December the clergy and local representatives were summoned for questioning. Horn learned that a secret alliance had been made between the people of Jämtland and the Norwegians, ratified with the local communities' seal
s. Severe reprisals were feared, but in the end the people of Jämtland were ordered to hand over their weapon in order to prevent "future secret aid to the enemy". This relatively mild punishment was in stark contrast to the harsh treatment of the Scanian lands.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(re-)conquest of the province of Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
in the summer of 1677 during the Scanian War
Scanian War
The Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
. The conquest was short-lived; Sweden
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....
was able to regain control of the province in November the same year.
Strategic aims
Jämtland had been ceded to Sweden by Denmark-Norway at the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645, and was therefore a target for reconquest. From the onset of the war, the Swedish strategic plan had included an attack into NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
from Jämtland. However, the crises on the other fronts had repeatedly drawn away the troops that would have participated in such an attack.
Development
In the beginning of 1677 news arrived that the Norwegians defending TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
had moved south to reinforce the army of Ulrik Frederick Gyldenløve. This presented an opportunity for advancing across the Norwegian border. The attacking force was to be led by Carl Larsson Sparre, the governor-general of Västernorrland county. He had at his disposal a force of 1,700 men, of which three companies were local men from Jämtland. However, he was unable to feed these troops, and furthermore the troops, who hadn't received payment in ten months, had dispersed across Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
to live meagerly off the land, which had been ravaged by famine for several years. Thus, the planned attack had to be abandoned.
That summer Swedish reconnaissance indicated that the Norwegians were themselves gathering forces in Trondheim and Røros
Røros
is a town and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Other villages include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen....
and preparing for an attack across the border. Sparre received a dispatch from Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie
Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie was a Swedish statesman and military man. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1647 and came to be the holder of three of the five offices counted as the Great Officers of the Realm, namely Lord High Treasurer, Lord High Chancellor and Lord High...
encouraging him to prevent this attack by moving his men either towards Trondheim or alternatively to Røros and on through the valley of Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
to Värmland
Värmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
. Sparre chose the latter alternative, detaching major Carl Rutencrantz with a force to Oviken, but delaying his own departure to await a promised complement of 1,400 men from Österbotten. Sparre also attempted to muster troops and supplies from Jämtland itself, but like in Skåne and Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
the people were still loyal to their former masters. The Swedes were barely tolerated, and promised supplies and horses never appeared. When the troops from Österbotten finally arrived, they numbered only 290, and were poorly armed and trained. Short of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
and unable to feed his troops, Sparre was again forced to scatter his troops to live off the land.
News now arrived of the Norwegians crossing the border. Sparre was now in an even more precarious position: his defensive positions were in disrepair and he had no means to strengthen them. There were only fourteen cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
at his disposal.
On August 16, a large Norwegian force attacked Rutencrantz' positions at Oviken. The engagement had barely begun when the Jämtlandians abandoned their positions and defected to the Norwegians. The remaining Swedish dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s held their positions and continued fighting into the night until they were overrun.
Before news of this action had reached Sparre, he had decided to move his remaining troops north to Brunflo
Brunflo
Brunflo is a locality situated in Östersund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,916 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated some 15 km south-east of Östersund....
in order block the Norwegians' access to Storsjön
Storsjön
Storsjön is the fifth largest lake in Sweden, with an area of 464 km² and a greatest depth of 74 m. It is located in the province of Jämtland in modern Jämtland County. From Storsjön runs the river Indalsälven and the lake contains the major island Frösön...
. While the infantry marched overland, the artillery was to be transported by boat. At his arrival, Sparre found only 400 men and the artillery lost, and retired to Gullesundsbro. There he learned that Rutencrantz' detachment in Oviken had been defeated. This prompted him to rush to Borgsjö to regroup. His army had been reinforced to 1,700 men but he dared not attempt to stop the Norwegian force, as he had convinced himself he was surrounded by larger enemy numbers.
The Norwegians had captured about 400 men and four cannon. A medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
was struck to commemorate the victories and celebrate the reconquest of the former Norwegian province. On the Swedish side, blame of the failure was directed at Sparre, who in turn blamed his scant supplies and paucity of men. Charles XI
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
was a stern master and relieved him, naming Jacob Fleming governor-general of Jämtland in his stead. Field marshal Henrik Horn was ordered to lead the troops in the general area of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to defend Norrland. Horn assembled his men in Medelpad
Medelpad
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia....
in the fall of 1677 and had hardly begun his march into the Jämtland when news reached him that the Norwegians had already left. Reconnoitering Swedish cavalry had given them the impression that a larger force was arriving, so they left Jämtland November 1 after burning their stores. This was a stroke of luck for the Swedes, as Norrland was still suffering from the famine, and it would have been near impossible to find supplies for his men.
As he was entering Jämtland, Horn received a letter from the king, where he was ordered to investigate the reports of treachery from the local people. In December the clergy and local representatives were summoned for questioning. Horn learned that a secret alliance had been made between the people of Jämtland and the Norwegians, ratified with the local communities' seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
s. Severe reprisals were feared, but in the end the people of Jämtland were ordered to hand over their weapon in order to prevent "future secret aid to the enemy". This relatively mild punishment was in stark contrast to the harsh treatment of the Scanian lands.
Source
- Björlin, Gustaf (1885) Kriget mot Danmark 1675 - 1679 ISBN 978-1-142-27749-9
- Vaupell, Otto Frederik (1872) Den danske hærs historie til nutiden og den norske hærs historie, indtil 1814 (University of Michigan Library. 1872)
- Sehlin, Carl (1929 Grunddragen av Jämtlands och Härjedalens historia (Östersund, Jämtlands Läns Bildningsförbunds förlag)
- Gjerset, KnutKnut GjersetKnut Gjerset as a Norwegian-American author and historian. He was a professor at Luther College and served as curator of the Norwegian-American Historical Museum.-Selected works:*English Grammar...
(1915) History of the Norwegian People (The MacMillan Company) - Lisk, Jill (1967) The Struggle for Supremacy in the Baltic: 1600-1725 (Funk & Wagnalls, New York)