The Battle of Kulminge was the culmination of the Åland riots during the Finnish War, fought between Sweden and Russia. The riot started in the Sockenstuga at 19 March 1808[1] and spread all over Åland, to finally culminate at Kumlinge at 9[2] or 10 May.[3] 450 armed peasants, led by Henrik Gummerus, defeated and captured the equally strong Russian force[4] under Colonel Vuitsch at their headquarters, just outside the Kulminge rectory.[3] The peasants sustained three killed and three captured, while the Russians had one killed and eight wounded.[5] After Vuitsch's capitulation, only about 50 Russian soldiers remained on Brändö who likewise, after a brief engagement, were made prisoners; all of Åland had thus been saved from Russian occupation.[6]
| Battle of Kumlinge | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Finnish War (Napoleonic Wars) | |||||||
 Memorial stone over the battle | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Sweden |
 Russian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Henrik Gummerus |
Colonel Vuich | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 450 peasants | 450 infantry | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
3 killed 3 wounded |
1 killed 449 captured | ||||||
References edit
- ^ Westrin 1922, pp. 991–992.
- ^ van Suchtelen 1835, p. 23.
- ^ a b Schulman 1909, p. 116.
- ^ Schulman 1909, p. 117.
- ^ Arkistolaitos.
- ^ Nordensvan 1898, p. 178.
Sources edit
- van Suchtelen, Paul (1835). Kriget emellan Sverige och Ryssland åren 1808 och 1809 (in Swedish). Stockholm: N. H. THOMSON.
- Schulman, Hugo (1909). Striden om Finland 1808-1809 (in Swedish). Borgå: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiös.
- Westrin, Theodor (1922). Nordisk familjebok Uggleupplagan. 33. Väderlek - Äänekoski (in Swedish). Stockholm: Nordisk Familjeboks Förlags Akriebolag.
- Nordensvan, Carl Otto (1898). Finska kriget 1808-1809 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag.
- "1808-1809 dokument om Finland i krig", Arkistolaitos (in Swedish), Arkivverket