Collected Works of Johan Ludvig Runeberg

by Johan Ludvig Runeberg

  The retreat continued with amazing rapidity. The Russians were bent upon heading off the retreating columns, but failing in this, pursued them closely. By the 25th of March Klingspor’s army had reached Wasa and was joined a little later at Nykarleby by Adlercreutz’ column. The Savolaks regiment, under Cronstedf, reached Uleaborg about the same time, and soon joined the others at Gamlakarleby. About this time the army, grown larger during the passage with new recruits from among the people, was reorganized into five divisions under the command, respectively, of Palmfelt, Adlercreutz, H. H. Gripenberg, J. A. Cronstedf, and Sandels. The retreat continued, headed for Uleaborg, the first three brigades following the coast, and the other two traveling farther inland, with the Russians following, bent upon driving the enemy out of the country.

  At Pyhajoki, on the day before Easter, the 16th of April, the Russians attacked the Finns. The latter were winning in the strife that ensued, when Klingspor suddenly put an end to the fight to continue the march northward. No decision was reached; yet this battle had great value for the Swedish side. Lowenhjelm, the chief of staff, became disabled, and Adlercreutz was elevated to the position, — a fortunate change; for he would have much greater power over Klingspor than the former chief had. Dobeln was promoted to the command which Adlercreutz had left. The greatest result of the battle, however, was the effect it had on the men. It gave them hope; it showed them that they were able to win victories, and that Finland might yet be rid of enemies. On Easter Sunday the troops were allowed to rest, and the Russians made no attempt to molest the Easter peace. On the following day at sunrise the army continued its retreat toward Uleaborg.

  After the first and third brigades had crossed the frozen waters at Siikajoki, the second, Dobeln’s brigade of Bjorneborgians, was about to cross, when he was attacked from the rear. Dobeln had fairly begun to counter-attack, when he received orders to retreat. With no choice but to obey, he left the fight to Adlercreutz, who took on himself the supreme command, as Klingspor was still slinking off in fear to the north. By nightfall a glorious victory had been won, the first real victory on the Swedish side, and the men were in excellent spirits. Now was the time for an offensive blow; yet Klingspor in fear let his troops remain inactive for a whole week. Then at length, prevailed upon by Adlercreutz he permitted an offensive blow at the Russians in Revolaks. On April 27th Cronstedt, at the head of the main army, marched around to the west of Revolaks, while Adlercreutz himself, at the head of a small company, marched directly upon the enemy at the north, to divert their attention from the main army, and engaged them. Cronstedt, delayed, did not come as soon as expected, and Adlercreutz, overwhelmed in numbers by the enemy, was forced, after some stubborn fighting, to retire. When Cronstedt finally arrived, he greatly surprised the enemies, then complacently gloating over their success, satisfied that their fighting, for the time being, was over. A grand victory for Finnish arms resulted. The Russian commander, Bulatoff, was captured, and heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. The Russians fled toward Gamlakarleby. The Finns, pursuing for some distance, were ordered then to half, on account of the bad roads. During the six weeks of spring clemency that followed, 10,000 Finns were encamped in idleness between Brahestad and Gamlakarleby, to the great advantage of the Russians, who received reinforcements during the time.

  That the roads during this period were not impassable, and that such obstacles could be overcome, was shown by Sandels and his gallant Savolaks regiment. They had not taken part in the expeditions in the west, but had journeyed eastward to intercept the enemy’s reinforcements. A victory was won at Pulkkila on the 2nd of May, and another at Idensalmi on the 6th of May. Then scattering itself in small companies throughout the region, the regiment fell upon group after group bringing stores and munitions to the enemy, took the reinforcements, which had been brought thus far only after great difficulty, and took the men captive. Another great victory was won at Kuopio, and the enemy driven out from there.

  Sandels’ expedition was greatly assisted by the voluntary help of the populace. In fact, through the remainder of the war, and everywhere throughout the land, the people willingly gave their support and assistance to the army. The people of Finland, otherwise so calm and resigned, had become aroused and filled with a warlike spirit. At Kalajoki the populace drove out the Russians, forcing them to retreat to Lochtea, and at Gamlakarleby gave the enemy much trouble. In the south, the Aland Islands were cleansed about the first of May of Russian rule, by the people, under the leadership of Aren, a district-governor, and Gummerus, a pastor, and the soldiery; about 600 men were sent captive to Stockholm.

  These successes fanned the sparks of hope, which had been kindled into flames of war-like fervor, — but then came the sad news from Sveaborg, which heavily clouded the bright prospects for the future. Sveaborg had been betrayed into enemy hands. As long as Sveaborg, the Gibraltar of the north, withstood the enemy, the Swedish army did not fear the final outcome. The fortress, defended by a large force of men with a sufficient supply of provisions and ammunitions, could not be taken by attack. The Russians knew this, and resorted to treachery. After much negotiation, with misrepresentations, threats and promises, they finally won over the commander, C. O. Cronstedt, who ignominously surrendered the fortress without a struggle on May 3rd, 1808. There is no darker spot in Swedish story than the treacherous surrendering of Sveaborg and Svartholm. Needless to say, the sad news cast a gloom over the army in the north.

  The Russian defeats in northern Finland caused Buxhovden to send an urgent call to Alexander for reinforcements and to make some important changes. Tutschkoff was recalled from the command, and Rajevsky was appointed in his stead; 11,000 troops were sent from Russia as reinforcements, of which some were sent to strengthen the garrisons along the coast, and the bulk under Barclay de Tolly were turned against Sandels.

  The King of Sweden, on the contrary, disregarding the advice of statesmen, sent but few reinforcements, and always in such small detachments as to render them of little real value. A detachment was sent under the command of General Vegesack on the 19th of June, but after a vain attempt to enter the country, the troops were forced back to their ships. Another was sent on the 25th of June with the same result. A force was sent to Gotland in May, however, which successfully rid that island of the Russian menace. But not until August 28th did Sweden manage to get reinforcements to the field in Finland.

  In the beginning of June, Major von Fieandt was sent from the main army in a south-easterly direction to Perrho. Here he won a victory and took large stores. Frightened by the news of this, Rajevsky, encamped at Gamlakarleby with Russia’s main army, moved southward to Wasa. Klingspor followed, and defeated, on June 24th, 1808, some Russian troops that had been left behind at Nykarleby. Fieandt meanwhile advanced to Lintulax, a junction of roads, thus making it impossible for the two sections of the Russian army to unite. Klingspor’s army continued to the south. Adlercreutz won the most important and the most decisive victory of the war at Lappo, on the 14th of July. For his failure here, Rajevsky was removed from his command by the Russians, and Kamenski was substituted. From the main Finnish army Dobeln was despatched to drive the enemy out of southwestern Osterbotten, and won a victory on the 10th of August at Kauhajoki, causing the foe to retreat to Bjorneborg. A few days later, August 17th, Adlercreutz and Cronstedt met the enemy at Alavo and threw them back.

  All was going well for the Finns, when the news came that Fieandt had suffered a crushing defeat at Karstula on the 21st of August, and that Lintulax was again in enemy hands. Nothing now could prevent the two sections of the Russian army from closing in on Adlercreutz, wherefore this general retreated to a more advantageous position at Ruona Bridge in Kuortane. Here he was attacked on September first, and, despite the superiority of the enemy in numbers he won a brilliant victory. The next day the enemy renewed the attack at Salmi, whither the Finns had removed, but-in the midst of the battle there came a command from Klingspor to retreat! Disappointed, broken in spirit, and desp
airing, the gallant army broke up on September 4th 1908, to obey Klingspor’s needless and fatal order, and proceeded toward Wasa.

  The reinforcements under Vegesack, which came from Sweden in August, won the victories of Lappfjard on August 29th and Omossa on September 4th, in which the youthful and courageous Vilhelm von Schwerin won renown, when also they received the order to retreat. They reached the main army at Nykarleby.

  The Russians set out in pursuit of the retreating Klingspor in a double column, one to head off the retreat, and the other to attack from the rear, — a strategy that would have proved the absolute undoing of the Finnish Army, but Dobeln saved the day. Sick in bed at Wasa, learning the plight of the army, he arose in fever, and at the head of his faithful Bjorneborgians encountered the heading-off army and won the memorable battle at Juutas on September 13th. On the following day, the main army met the pursuing column at Oravais in a bloody but heroic battle of 17 hours, to which the darkness of night put an end before a decision could be reached. Then the retreat was taken up once more, and the exhausted army without ammunition and under untold suffering and privation, wended its way northward.

  A truce was declared in Lohtea on the 29th of September, lasting until October 23rd, during which time von Klercker was made commander-in-chief of the Swedish army in Finland, instead of Klingspor, who had been forced to resign. A second truce was sought, and was granted at Olkijoki on November 19th, upon condition that the Swedish army vacate the land entirely. This truce was continued until January 12th, 1809. Between these two periods of rest, Sandels was engaged in a battle. In the face of Barclay de Tolly’s troops, Sandels had been forced to retire from Kuopio to Tiovala, but there he succeeded in holding ground in stubborn resistance for several months. Toward the close of September he retreated to Palois, and later to Koljonvirta River near Idensalmi. Here, on October 27th, after the close of the first truce, the enemy attacked him at Virta Bridge. Sandels gained another glorious victory; and then, not feeling strong enough to resist longer, he retreated to Uleaborg, arriving there in time to join the main army, and with it to cross the border. A terrible winter of suffering and hardship followed.

  As early as November of 1808 a Finnish deputation was held in St. Petersburg, at which Finland declared itself subjected to Russia. Later, toward the end of March, 1809, at the request of this deputation, a diet was held at Borga, when the Czar of Russia was formally acknowledged as Finland’s ruler. A few days earlier, on the 13th of March, Sweden’s incapable king, Gustavus IV Adolphus, had been dethroned and exiled.

  The war was drawing to a close, but was not yet over. Alexander was intent upon following out his plan to take Stockholm. With this in view, a Russian detachment under Bagration was sent over to the Aland Islands. They drove Dobeln and his troops over to Grisslehamn in Sweden, pursued them over the ice for some distance, and then returned to Aland. At about the same time a Russian force, under the command of Barclay de Tolly, crossed from Wasa in Finland to Umea in Sweden, and forced J. A. Cronstedt, who was in command there, to surrender, returning to Finland on the 27th of March. Still another Russian force marched westward from Tornea. H. H. Gripenberg, commanding at Kalix, was so terrorized by the advent of the army and the news of Cronstedt’s surrender, that he made an ignominous pact with the enemy, to the great chagrin of his noble army, surrendering all stores as far south as Umea, and promising to lay down arms. From this time on, the war was a rather listless combat, with but one noteworthy battle, that at Hornefors on the 5th of July, 1809.

  The negotiations for peace between Russia and Sweden, begun in the meantime, resulted in a peace treaty, drawn up on the 17th of September, 1809, at Fredrikshamn in Finland. According to this treaty, Sweden ceded all Finland to Russia, thus losing more than one-third of all her domain, and a most faithful and devoted part of her population. The Tornea River was fixed as the boundary between Sweden and Finland. Thus came to a close “Finland’s latest war,” as Runeberg calls this struggle in his immortal “Fanrik Stals Sagner.” The war was fought and lost, — but lost not without honor. The page of history that records the war is darkened by blotches of treachery and weakness, the treachery of Sweden’s own leaders and the wretchedness of the war’s conduct. But these spots are dimmed by the surpassing glory shed upon them by recorded deeds of Finnish heroism and sacrifice for beloved home and native land.

  The War in “Fanrik Stals Sagner.”

  Briefly, in concluding, let us note, so far as is possible, the place of the two-years’ war narrated in Runeberg’s immortal songs. Some of the cantos plainly refer to special battles and important events of the war; others are of a more general character, referring to the war in a general way, or to minor incidents not directly connected with the great events of the war.

  The following cantos are based on special battles of the war: Adlercreutz (XXXV), and Trosskusken (XXX), pertain to the battle of Siikajoki; Fanrikens Halsning (XXV) refers to the battle of Revolaks; Sveaborg (XVII) and Bróderna (XXXIII) have reference to Sveaborg’s surrender; Den Doende Krigaren (IX) to another struggle on the southern coast, — the one at o Lemo, near Abo; Von Torne (XXVI) and No. Femton, Stolt (XXXII) are from the battle of Lappo; while Framlingens Syn (XXIV) is from both the Lemo and Lappo battles; Von Essen (XXIX) and Sven Dufva (VII) refer to the fighting in Savolaks, under Sandels; Otto von Fieandt (X) to the battles at Lintulaks and Karstula, under the major of that name; Veteranen (IV) refers to the struggle at Alavo; Dobeln vid Juutas (XVIII) describes the battle at Juutas; at Oravais the scene is laid for Vilhelm von Schwerin (XXXI), Lotta Svard (XXII), and GamleHurtig (XIII); Virta Bro is the scene of Sandels (XI) and Lojtnant Ziten (V); and Den Femte Juli (XXVII) refers to the last battle of the war, fought on that day in 1809.

  Bjorneborgarnes Marsch (XX), although not to be connected with any special battle, is yet connected with the regiment of Bjorneborg, commanded by Dobeln. Three of the cantos are biographical of the more important men connected with the war; namely, Konungen (XV), Faltmarskalken (XVI) and Kulneff (XIV).

  The general cantos are: Vart Land (I), Fanrik Stål (II), Molnets Broder (III), Torpflickan (VI), Von Konow och hans Korporal (VIII), De Tv a Dragonerna (XII), Soldatgossen (XIX), Fanrikens Marknadsminne (XXI), Gamle Lode (XXIII), Munter (XXVIII) and Landshofdingen (XXXIV).

  LAWRENCE F. NORDSTROM.

  EARLIER COLLECTION: 1848

  CANTO FIRST. OUR LAND.

  A hymn to native land.

  This apostrophe to Finland — the only non-narrative canto of the Cycle except the Bjorneborgers’ March — is a pure lyric, portraying intense devotion to the homeland.

  It met such a response in the hearts of the people that it became the National Hymn of Finland. It is played or sung on all festal occasions. Twelve or more musical settings have been given to it, the principal ones being those of Fredrick Pacius and J. A. Josephson. The poem first appeared in 1847, in a “Fosterlandskt Album.”

  The Pacius melody was first sung at a Students’ Festival in Helsingfors, in May, 1848. It is bold, angular, massive, and withal tuneful; and is adapted to solo or choral rendition. The vocal score and piano accompaniment are here submitted. I believe it exemplifies the dictum of Wordsworth, that “For the production of the full effect, an accompaniment of music is indispensable to a lyrical work.”

  This ode looks backward and forward. It is a memory and a hope. It is one of the few hymns of literary character, that would seem to take its place beside those of Wallin, Wesley, Heber, Cowper or Proctor.

  The sincerity and simplicity of this hymn, making one inattentive to its details, might long deter the reader from noting that the poet has employed the possessive “our” twenty-three times and the adverb “here” fifteen times in its composition, without rendering the words in the least obtrusive.

  I. OUR LAND.

  Our land is poor; true, we reply,

  For him who covets gold;

  The stranger proud may pass us by,

  But we our land yet glorify;

>   For in each crag and fell and wold

  A gold-land we behold.

  We love our rivers’ rushing flight,

  Our brooks that purl along,

  Our darksome groves whose sighs unite,

  Our starry night, our summer light, —

  All, all that here, in scene or song,

  Did to our hearts belong.

  Here was our fathers’ combat fought,

  With mind, sword, plowshare too;

  When light or darkness fortune brought,

  In mournful or in joyous lot,

  Yet Finland’s heart beat ever true,

  Bore brave the ills she knew.

  Ah, who could tell the slaughter-tale,

  The ills our fathers stood?

  When battles roared from dale to dale,

  When came the frost with hunger’s wail,

  Who measured all the outpoured blood

  And all the fortitude?

  And it was here the blood-streams flowed,

  They did for us outpour;

  Here oft their hearts with gladness glowed,