Topic: Battles
On 23 October 1700 Anders Lindehielm sent his next report to Stockholm. He began by acknowledging the arrival of instructions from Stockholm, dated 10 October, to seize Russian property and Russian citizens within the County of Viborg and Nyslott. No Russian ships had yet been seized within Lindehielm's jurisdiction, but two lodias had been forwarded from Nyen. 23 Russians had been arrested and put in chains, among them four merchants who had come to the market at Willmanstrand with gloves, hats, boots, honey and all sorts of other merchandize.
The two Russian ships were also carefully studied and inventories made. On one of them was found a broken table made of stone, five Russian books (the imprisoned Russians were given one for reading), two compasses, two Russian "afguda beläten" (icons), a Russian calender, two small crosses, some grain and flour and various other items and equipment.
Next report was sent on the 26th. The weather had become colder, with temperatures below zero. Colonel Lode had left by ship on the 20th, but it was unclear how far he had been able to travel as major Pistolkors (who had left the following day) was forced to turn back because of ice. Recently a violent storm had broken up the ice, but the ships had still not been able to leave due to adverse winds. Lindehielm doubted that further transports by sea would be possible as the days became shorter and the weather colder. A possible solution was to keep the remaining soldiers at Viborg for the time being and have County Governor Cronhjort send the same number of troops from Helsinki, a port likely still open. The units gathered at Viborg could then march to Ingria instead.
Lindehielm also enclosed a lengthy letter from Nyen, dated 22 October. It stated that a small force of Russians had appeared on the other side of the Neva two days earlier. A few cannon shots from the fortress had driven them off. Appoloff did not believe that the town was in any danger for the time being, but if the Neva froze the situation would change. The shortage of soldiers, particularly cavalry and dragoons, remained a problem and Appoloff was concerned for Ingria. There was also a lack of horseshoes at Nyen and no blacksmith - could Lindehielm help?
There had been heard heavy firing from the direction of Narva the previous day. If something bad happened there, the possibility of holding Nyen was small and there would be no other option than having the defenders falling back to Finland, Appoloff concluded.
Source: Riksarkivet, ÄK 243, vol. 77.
