Battle of Tistedalen

The Battle of Tistedalen was a series of skirmishes in the Swedish–Norwegian War of 1814, at Tistedalen, Norway.

Battle of Tistedalen
Part of the Swedish–Norwegian War of 1814
Tistedalen in 1826, by Thomas Fearnley
Date 1 August 1814 Location Tistedalen, Norway Result Swedish victory
Belligerents
Norway	Sweden
Commanders and leaders
Johan Henrik Spørck	Pehr Brändström
Strength
400–600	1,500
Casualties and losses
27 killed or wounded 45 captured	3 killed 13 wounded

Background

At July 30, a Swedish army under Hans Henric von Essen crossed the southern Norwegian border (among them the Régiment Royal-Suédois). A small Norwegian force of a couple hundred men, under Johan Henrik Spørck, withdrew to an advantageous position behind the Tista, at Veden, to delay the Swedes long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Essen sent Eberhard von Vegesack to block the Norwegian fortress of Fredriksten, while a smaller force of 1,500 men under Pehr Brändström marched towards Spørck, in an attempt to force the crossing;[1] after receiving some reinforcements, Spørck's army counted between 400 and 600 men.[2][3] At 1 August, Brändström opened up with two cannons to force the Norwegians to retire but without result; instead he ordered a battalion of the Västmanland Regiment to wade over the river opposite the Norwegian left flank, while other units feinted attacks elsewhere. Once across, the Västmanland battalion launched a bayonet attack which, after two hours of fighting, drove the Norwegians away.[1] The Swedes had lost 3 killed and 13 wounded;[2][3] the Norwegians had over 27 killed and wounded and 45 men captured. Essen reached Torpum the next day and there united his forces with the Swedish Crown Prince Charles John.[1]

References

1. Angel (1914), p. 264–267
2. Görlin (1820), p. 73–74
3. Gravallius (1815), p. 55

Sources

• Götlin, Lars Erik (1820). Anteckningar under Svenska Arméens Fålttåg 1813 och 1814, Volume 3 (in Swedish). Uppsala: Palmblad & C.
• Gravallius, Daniel Ehrenfried (1815). Kronprinsens af Sverige Carl Johan, fälttåg, åren 1813, 1814 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Direct. och Kongl. Fält-Boktryckaren.
• Angell, Henrik (1914). Syv-Aars-Krigen for 17. Mai 1807–1814 (in Norwegian). Kristiania: H. Aschehoug & Co.

Further reading

• Björlin, Gustaf (1893). Kriget i Norge 1814 – efter samtidas vittnesbörd framställdt (in Swedish). Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & Söners Förlag. pp. 111–114.