Battle of Pälkjärvi

In mid-July, Barclay de Tolly resigned his command for health reasons, it was passed over to Nikolay Tuchkov; He immediately ordered the reinforcements, which had been unable to leave due to the increased Swedish activity, to proceed west — even without these troops the Russians enjoyed a three to one numerical advantage. However, recent Swedish successes had sparked a peasant uprising against the Russians, which forced Generalmajor Ilya Alekseyev (Alexejev) to give up an attempt to attack the Swedish left flank, and instead retreat all the way to Pälkjärvi, where he awaited reinforcements. Upon hearing news of his retreat, Sandels sent a Swedish force under Malm to pursue and defeat him before the arrival of Russian reinforcements.^[6]

Malm's force consisted of 250 regular troops with two guns along with 400 armed peasants who had also joined him. He estimated Alexeyev's force to 500 cavalry and four companies of Jägers — in reality, and unbeknownst to Malm, the Russians had already received reinforcements and numbered twice the number of his own force, although lacking in guns. On the night to 10 August, Malm attacked Alexeyev's force which was deployed around the Pälkjärvi church; he commenced to a frontal assault with the bulk of his forces (200 regulars and an equal number of peasants, with the artillery) while the rest encircled the Russian left flank. Alexeyev managed to halt the first main Swedish attack, but soon, after realizing that he was being encircled combined with renewed frontal attacks, ordered a retreat; he managed to break through the encirclement with relative ease, mostly due to the size of his army. At 9 p.m. the fighting stopped, Alexeyev retreated to Sortavala, briefly pursued by Malm who soon returned to Joensuu. The Swedes had lost 55 in killed or wounded, of which 24 peasants. The Russians had sustained one officer and 90 privates killed or wounded while 53 men were captured.^[7]

Alexeyev, who feared a Swedish follow-up on Sortavala, requested reinforcements which he received from the army at Kuopio; although he was soon replaced by Mikhail Petrovich Dolgorukov, who advanced towards the Swedish positions at Toivala only after Sandels had recalled his forward contingents by mid-September. On 29 September Dolgorukov stood at Jännevirta, threatening the left flank of the Swedish positions at Toivala; Sandels, however, upon hearing the news of the Swedish defeats at Karstula and Ruona–Salmi, combined with the threat at his left flank, ordered a retreat towards Koljonvirta, near Iisalmi. Tuchkov occupied Toivala by 30 September. The armistice at Lohteå, which was signed on 3 October, further confirmed the Swedish setbacks to the west. Sandels and Tuchkov would encounter each other again at the Battle of Koljonvirta, on 27 October.^[8]

• Savolax Jäger Regiment (1 company)
• Uleåborg Infantry Regiment (1 company)
• 400 armed peasants
• Savolax Artillery Brigade (2 guns)

In total: 650 men and 2 guns^[1]

• Hornborg, Eirik (1955). När riket sprängdes: fälttågen i Finland och Västerbotten, 1808-1809 (in Swedish). Stockholm: P. A. Norstedts och Söners Förlag.