Assault on Mörsils Sconce
| Assault on Mörsils Sconce | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Torstenson War | |||||||||
 1676 map of Mörsils old (C) and new sconce (B) by Jeremias Rosk | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
.svg.png){kind=small} Denmark–Norway |
 Swedish Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Christopher Rasmussøn |
Olof Svensson † | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Jemtland company |
Mörsil sconce garrison | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 359 men | c. 100 men | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Everyone killed | ||||||||
The assault on Mörsils Sconce occurred on either 30 or 31 May 1644 during the Torstenson War between Denmark–Norway and Sweden.
In March 1644, Swedish forces led by Henrik Fleming occupied Jemtland, with Hans Strijk becoming governor of the province. The Swedes were left with some 450 men to defend the province, around 100 men being stationed in Mörsils sconce, the rest in Frösö sconce.
Soon, a Norwegian force led by Jacob Ulfeldt invaded Jemtland. The Jemtland company, some 359 men led by Christopher Rasmussøn, hid themselves in a forest behind a farm with the help of a local farmer. After being invited to a harvest feast, the Swedes were ambushed and killed by Rasmussøn's force.
Another version of events purports that around 50 Swedes were initially killed outside the sconce, with the rest being killed in their sleep inside the sconce after having surrendered the day prior.
Background
In December 1643, after months of preparations by Axel Oxenstierna, Swedish forces invaded Denmark, sparking the Torstenson War.[1]
In March 1644, a Swedish army of around 1,600 men[2] under the command of Henrik Fleming invaded Jemtland. After some minor skirmishes with Norwegian forces led by Jacob Ulfeldt, they successfully occupied the entire province. After occupying the province, Hans Strijk was made governor,[3][4] immediately working on securing Swedish control.[5]
Prelude
Soon after beginning work on the administrative and military reconstruction in the province, reports of an incursion by a Norwegian force under the command of Jacob Ulfeldt reached Strijk. In total, Ulfeldt's force consisted of 1,100 to 1,200 men, divided into five companies,[6][7] with two being held in reserve.[7] Additionally, the Jemtland company, 359 men in total,[8] was led by Christopher Rasmussøn.[6][8][9]
Swedish forces in the province amounted to around 450 men,[4][10] divided between Mörsils sconce with some 100 men under the command of Olof Svensson,[10][9] and the rest stationed in Frösö sconce.[11]
Mörsils sconce
Mörsils sconce was located on top of a sand ridge on the northern shore of Liten. It was rectangular, with bastions in the corners.[12]
Assault
The assault occurred either on 30[13][14] or 31 May.[8]
According to the Mörsil parish chronicle, a farmer in Byom opened negotiations with Christopher Rasmussøn, having his men hide themselves in the forest behind the farm. The farmer invited Olof Svensson and his men to a harvest feast. A local custom had risen in Jemtland, where people would help in hauling timber, gathering hay, or harvesting in exchange for food and drink due to a shortage of draught animals and manpower.[12]
Svensson, who posted sentries along the road, believed he was safe, coming to the farmer. Once the Swedes were "sitting at the height of their merriment", the farmer retreated into his house, giving a signal to Rasmussøn and his men to attack. The Swedes were shot and killed by the Dano-Norwegians,[8] including one man who was stabbed while hiding in a chimney.[12][8]
A different version of events is given in Christoffer Stenklyft's 1684 map of roads in the province. He stated that 50 Swedes outside the sconce were killed, and the other half, who were inside the sconce, were killed in their sleep after surrendering the day prior.[15][8]
Aftermath
After capturing Mörsils sconce, the Norwegian forces moved towards Frösö sconce, held by Hans Strijk. Despite being outnumbered, Strijk held out for two months. He eventually capitulated on 9 or 10 August, receiving free departure back to Borgsjö sconce in Medelpad,[16][17] escorted by eight companies.[17]
See also
- Assault on Christianspris – Part of the Torstenson War
Citations
- ↑ von Essen 2020, p. 101.
- ↑ von Essen 2020, p. 109.
- ↑ Steckzén 1928, p. 274.
- 1 2 von Essen 2020, p. 110.
- ↑ Steckzén 1928, pp. 269–275.
- 1 2 Munthe 1901, p. 63.
- 1 2 Steckzén 1928, p. 275.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bäckström 2018, p. 276.
- 1 2 Vessberg 1900, p. XIV.
- 1 2 Steckzén 1928, p. 276.
- ↑ Steckzén 1928, pp. 275–276.
- 1 2 3 Steckzén 1928, p. 277.
- ↑ Stålhane 1905, p. 32.
- ↑ Munthe 1901, p. 65.
- ↑ Steckzén 1928, p. 278.
- ↑ Steckzén 1928, p. 278–287.
- 1 2 Grimberg & Uddgren 1914, p. 80.
References
- Steckzén, Birger (1928). "Striden om Jämtland 1644—1645". Jämtländska Studier: Festskrift till Eric Festin (in Swedish). 3 (1) 16. Östersund: Heimbygdas Förlag: 263–294. ISSN 0347-5131. OCLC 488042179.
- Vessberg, Vilhelm [in Swedish] (1900). Kriget på Norska gränsen [The War on the Norwegian Border]. Bidrag till historien om Sveriges krig med Danmark 1643–1645 (in Swedish). Ivar Hæggströms boktryckeri.
- Munthe, Carl Oscar (1901). Hannibalsfejden 1644–1645: Den norske hærs bloddåb [Hannibal's feud 1644–1645: The Norwegian army's blood baptism] (in Danish). Oslo: Grøndahl & Søns bogtrykkeri.
- von Essen, Michael Fredholm (2020). The Lion from the North: The Swedish Army during the Thirty Years War 1632-48. Vol. 2. Helion & Company. ISBN 9781913118839.
- Grimberg, Carl Gustaf; Uddgren, Hugo [in Swedish] (1914). Svenska krigsbragder [Swedish Military Exploits] (in Swedish). Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & Söners förlag.
- Bäckström, Olli (2018). Katajala, Kimmo; Hirvonen, Helena (eds.). Snapphanar and Power States: Insurgency and the Transformation of War in Sweden and Denmark 1643–1645. Joensuu: University of Eastern Finland. ISBN 9789526129020.
- Stålhane, H. (1905). "Om skansarne i Jämtland och Herjeådalen". Jämtlands läns förminnesförenings tidskrift (in Swedish). 3. Östersund: Jämtlandspostens boktryckeri: 27–36.