Battle
The battle itself was closely contested and both forces suffered heavy casualties. Late in the day a snow storm, rare for September even in Russia, set in. This disorganized the Swedish troops and Lewenhaupt ordered a tactical retreat to follow his main orders not to risk the supplies. He was forced though to leave many much-needed supply wagons behind due to the muddy terrain. The Swedes used the abandoned supply wagons to make a wagon fort in order to cover the retreat across the bridge over Lesnjanka.
The Swedish forces fought off heavy Russian attacks against the wagon fort and the attackers received heavy losses before withdrawing for the day.
During the rest of the day the remaining Swedish supply wagons were moved across the bridge and most of them were over by the evening together with the main bulk of the army.
Several thousand Swedish soldiers had been scattered during the battle or the retreat and many of them were either killed or captured by Russian cossack cavalry.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Lesnaya
Famous quotes containing the word battle:
“Any coward can fight a battle when hes sure of winning, but give me the man who has pluck to fight when hes sure of losing. Thats my way, sir; and there are many victories worse than a defeat.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)
“Nelsons famous signal before the Battle of Trafalgar was not: England expects that every man will be a hero. It said: England expects that every man will do his duty. In 1805 that was enough. It should still be.”
—Johan Huizinga (18721945)
“Above the bayonets, mixed and crossed,
Men saw a gray, gigantic ghost
Receding through the battle cloud,
And heard across the tempest loud
The death cry of a nation lost!”
—Will Henry Thompson (18481918)