The Battle of Jutas memorial

Alajepuantie Uusikaarlepyy

 

In the Finnish War (1808–1809), the troops of Sweden-Finland were retreating towards the north in Ostrobothnia, but they were able to slow the push of the Russian army. One important delaying action took place in Jutas, near Uusikaarlepyy. Colonel Georg Carl von Döbeln had a fever but managed to march his exhausted troops with their broken equipment to Munsala, from where they rapidly moved to defensive positions along the road west of the Lapuanjoki river and in the adjacent forest.

 

The Russians approached the Jutas field from the direction of Lapua on 13 September 1808. Döbeln’s troops could rest in their positions for about five hours before the Russian troops of Major General Kiril Kosatschovskij met von Döbeln’s outpost. Both sides had about 1,500 men in arms. The Russian troops attacked first but, after a series of severe clashes, had to retreat as far as Alahärmä, burning a river bridge on their way. As far as is known, about 40 of Döbeln’s soldiers were injured or killed, while the Russians apparently lost three times as many men.

 

The victory at Jutas meant that the main army of Sweden-Finland, led by General Carl Johan Adlercreutz, had more time to retreat to the north. Döbeln was raised to the rank of major general, and the soldiers were given an extra portion of liquor.

 

A memorial was erected on the Jutas battlefield in 1885, precisely where the cannons of Sweden-Finland stood at the beginning of the battle.