I recently added to my collection of Polish books:

1. Urzędnicy Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego: spisy. Tom III. - Warszawa, 2015. This is a series which began appearing in 2003. It lists the names of officials on various levels, in this case for the Duchy of Samogitia. These books are invaluable for anyone who tries to identify the Polish and Lithuanian nobles who appear in Swedish documents from the GNW period. Previous volumes have covered the voivodeships of Vilnius, Trakai and Smolensk.

2. Pabich, Lukasz: Bitwa pod Koniecpolem 21 listopada 1708. - Zabrze, 2014. About the battle between forces loyal to Stanislaw Leszczynski and those Polish and Lithuanian forces which refused to accept him as king. The unprinted sources are Polish-Lithuanian only, but the printed ones more diverse (unfortunately in some cases they are of a highly dubious nature). 

3. Płowy, Damian: Poniec 7 XI 1704. - Zabrze, 2013

4. Płowy, Damian: Od Ponieca do Bełcza Wielkiego. - Zabrze, 2015. Both books are about the final stages of the 1704 campaign. Both volumes are quite thin, but the author appears to have consulted many archival sources both in Poland and abroad (though not in Sweden).

5. Wimmer, Jan: Polska-Szwecja : konflikty zbrojne w XVI-XVIII wieku. -  Oświęcim, 2013. A summary of the events during the many wars between Sweden and Poland by the veteran historian, who as far back as 1956 published a large volume about the GNW (Wojsko Rzeczypospolitej w dobie wojny północnej 1700-1717).

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 9:09 PM MEST

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On 22 July 1700 Erik Dahlbergh wrote to Charles XII, informing him that General Vellingk "who had been standing here so long without doing anything explicit against the enemy" despite every possible preparation having been made for a crossing of the Düna. Now the Saxons had been reinforced and the on the 17th they had crossed the river at Pröbstingshoff (Sprēstiņi). Vellingk had moved towards the enemy the following day and on the 21st attempted an attack, but finding the Saxon position too strong he soon retreated. Dahlbergh was very unhappy, telling the King that he saw no other means of defending Riga than asking Vellingk for reinforcements. On 27 July Vellingk wrote to the Chancery in Stockholm, stating that Vellingk had retreated "in confusion" with the cavalry and 1,500 foot, but the rest of the infantry and some cavalry had managed to enter Riga. 

A list preserved elesewhere gives detailed information about the reinforcements received - about 5 100 officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers from the Finnish infantry regiments (Close to 700 from the Tavastehus infantry, close to 1,000 from the Åbo infantry, about 900 from the Savolax infantry, about the same from the Björneborg infantry, about 700 from the Vyborg infantry and above 800 from the Nyland infantry). 

Sources:

LVVA, fond 7349, op. 1, vol. 72

Krigsarkivet, Krigshandlingar. Stora nordiska kriget. Avd. 19, vol. 1 

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 9:09 PM MEST

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It's sometimes stated that the French ambassador Guiscard was present in Riga during the Düna crossing on 9 July 1701. I am not where this story comes from, but it was used to great effect by Frans G. Bengtsson in his vivid description of the event. Unfortunately it's entirely fictitious. Guiscard was not permitted to accompany the army when it marsched southwards in June and instead went to Reval (Tallinn). In late July (Guiscard says the 29th, Dahlbergh in one letter writes the 27th and in another the 29th) Guiscard came to Riga, despite Governor General Dahlbergh having informed him of the King's wish that the foreign diplomats should remain in Reval. The French ambassador, Dahlbergh writes, had many ideas for restoring the peace, but they were all dependent upon the King respecting the neutrality of the Polish Republic. The Dutch ambassador was also in Riga, impatiently requesting an audience with Charles.

Source:

LVVA, fond 7349, op. 1, vol.  73

Brulin, H., Sverige och Frankrike under nordiska kriget... - Upsala, 1905

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 9:04 PM MEST

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Below is a list of letters sent by Governor General Dahlbergh on a fairly typical day (20 July 1701):

1. Order to Lt Col. Zöge to hand over equipment from the stores in Dorpat to Lt. Col. Wrangel and Lt. Col. Hastfehr.

2. Letter to Inspector Järmestedt about an offer of 50 oak planks made by the Town Councillor Rennenkampf.

3. Letter to the Town Council of Riga about quarters for Col. Brakel and his unit.

4. To Paul von Strokirch about provisions.

5. To the district bailiff Falckenhagen about going to Kokenhusen to make an inventory.

6. Permission for Cornelius de Geus to load his ship and sail.

7. To district bailiff Falckenhagen.

8. To Lt. Col. Zöge about the printed account of His Majesty’s great victory.

9. Reply to Col. Brakel’s memorial.

10. To Lt. Field Marshal De la Gardie regarding Wrangel’s battalion of militia.

11. To Inspector Järmerstädt about masts for England and Holland.

12. Passport for Mohrman to go to Neustädtchen.

13. To Inspector Järmerstädt about two merchants from Lübeck.

Source: LVVA, fond 7349, op. 1, vol. 53 

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 8:58 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 19 July 2015 8:59 PM MEST

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Some time after the battle of Narva in late November 1700 Erik Dahlbergh started asking Henning Rudolf Horn (the garrison commander at Narva) for information about the siege and the battle. Dahlbergh's letters to Horn are possibly lost, but some of the replys are preserved. On 24 March 1701 Horn writes that he would already have sent the map of the battle and the drawings of the town if the King had not requested changes. On 13 May Horn writes that Captain Palmstruch has been ordered to modify the drawing and make the breach of the walls somewhat clearer. On 27 May Horn again writes to Dahlbergh, saying that the key to the map will follow shortly. On 3 June Horn returns to the subject and says that the view of the town isn't quite ready yet. On 13 June Horn states that Captain Palmstruch was hard at work.

On 21 June Horn informs Dahlbergh that the drawing of the town from the Ingrian side has  been sent and Palmstruch is working on the drawing from the Estonian side. On 7 July Horn tells Dahlbergh that this work soon will be finished. On 18 July he writes that this work is done as well (by lieutenant De la Vallée).

It seems likely that this matedrial was used by Johan Lithén (ennobled Litheim 1718), who made several drawings of battles and towns in the Baltic provinces and Courland.

Source: LVVA, fond 7349, op. 1, vol. 276 

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 10:56 PM MEST

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I have on a number of occasions mentioned Ernst Malmberg (1867-1960), who as early as in the 1910's started auctioning off documents belonging to the archive of the Livonian Governor General. When I visited Uppsala University Library some weeks ago I had the opportunity to looke at volume Y 92, an autograph book which belonged to him. Although it was far from chronological it was possible to get a fairly good idea of how much time he spent in Riga. In April 1909 Malmberg was in Grisslehamn, in August he met with with the author Karl-Erik Forsslund (likely in Sweden), but in late September Malmberg had reached Riga and in September 1910 he was in Helsinki. It would consequently appear that Malmberg spent close to a year in Riga, which certainly would help explain how he could get hold of such a large number of documents. 

Y 92 contains the signatures of many celebrities, for example Theodore Roosevelt (whom Malmberg apparently encountered in Chicago in 1911) and the opera singer Christina Nilsson. 

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 10:04 PM MEST

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It has been noted by several historians that there seems to have existed a close personal friendship between the Chancery official Casten Feif and Georg Lybecker, commander of the Finnish army 1707-1710 and 1712-1713. However, few letters between them seem to have been preserved. When I some months ago had the opportunity to go through a private archive I came upon item, which likely thus far has escaped the notice of historians. It was written by Lybecker on 8 January 1713 in reply to a couple of letters from Feif, dated 25 July and 21 August 1712.

Lybecker deals with a number of issues in his letter, for example:

1. His proposal to use some of the cavalry as infantry (apparently not approved by the King). Lybecker explains his reasoning: during the winter the deep snow makes movement of cavalry difficult and it's also hard to find fodder.

2. The organization of the tar trade (Tar Company) and the possible establishment of a commercial center at Veckelax (Vehkalahti).

3. The establishment of glassworks in Finland. Lybecker states that he knows very little about the other counties, but it should be possible near Vyborg. 

4. The possibility of using the Finnish forests for making potash.

5. The establishment of manufactories in Finland.

6. The leasing of tolls and customs.

7. The new method of taxation (property tax of 1713). Lybecker states that the idea (taxation according to ability) is certainly fair, but he is not convinced that everyone will give correct figures for their wealth.

8. The chances of recapturing Vyborg and other fortresses (Lybecker says that there is no lack of ambition or heart - only of means).

9. The possibility of finding new recruits and the general situation in Finland.

10. How the clergy has destroyed the country (according to Lybecker an issue too large to cover in a letter).

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 6:41 PM MEST

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It has been noted by several historians that there seems to have existed a close personal friendship between the Chancery official Casten Feif and Georg Lybecker, commander of the Finnish army 1707-1710 and 1712-1713. However, few letters between them seem to have been preserved. When I some months ago had the opportunity to go through a private archive I came upon item, which likely thus far has escaped the notice of historians. It was written by Lybecker on 8 January 1713 in reply to a couple of letters from Feif, dated 25 July and 21 August 1712.

Lybecker deals with a number of issues in his letter, for example:

1. His proposal to use some of the cavalry as infantry (apparently not approved by the King). Lybecker explains his reasoning: during the winter the deep snow makes movement of cavalry difficult and it's also hard to find fodder.

2. The organization of the tar trade (Tar Company) and the possible establishment of a commercial center at Veckelax (Vehkalahti).

3. The establishment of glassworks in Finland. Lybecker states that he knows very little about the other counties, but it should be possible near Vyborg. 

4. The possibility of using the Finnish forests for the making of potash.

5. The establishment of manufactories in Finland.

6. The leasing of tolls and customs.

7. The new method of taxation (property tax of 1713). Lybecker states that the idea (taxation according to ability) is certainly fair, but he is not convinced that everyone will give correct figures for their wealth.

8. The chances of recapturing Vyborg and other fortresses (Lybecker says that there is no lack of ambition or heart - only of means).

9. The possibility of finding new recruits and the general situation in Finland.

10. How the clergy has destroyed the country (according to Lybecker an issue too large to cover in a letter).

Posted by bengt_nilsson at 6:41 PM MEST

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