Letters from Battle of Vyborg Bay 1790

**TexaS** · 01-20-2016, 08:20

Here are two letters from a Swedish naval officer who took his ship through the Viborg gauntlet, the 3rd of July, 1790 in English. They were written in a mix of Swedish and English sometimes switching in the middle of a sentence. I have translated the parts in Swedish so those of you interested can get the hang of what is meant. The Swedish has a lot of old words and spellings that google translate cannot handle. The original text in Swedish with a few maps and pictures can be found here:
http://www.sjohistoriskasamfundet.se...t/fn16_a02.pdf

Claes Collander was Captain of the fast brig Alexander built in England and used as a dispatch ship between the King in the Skärgårdsflottan [Archipelago fleet or Army fleet] and prince Karl in Örlogsflottan [High seas fleet]. He wrote letters to his English wife living in Stockholm with her parents. I have added translations after Swedish passages.

Mrs. Jane Collander, att lemnas till Hr. Carl g. Furström, Stockholm. Alexander in Björkösund d. 7 june 1790.

My dear Jane, My last letter of the 2:nd. this month I suppose you by this time have received. I went that same day out to sea, the next morning or the 3 :rd I came up with our Fleet [örlogsflottan] and was on board of the admiral ship. Prince Charles spoke to me a good time, he wrote a letter for the King and bade me tell the King, where he would have the skergards fleet to lay. We could then from his deck see the Russian fleet, their line was formed and they were laying within Seskar and our fleet little to east of WärvÖn. [Seskar or Seiskari, island between Björkösund and Estland, outside the Kronstadt-bay.] I went from there at 10 before noon, came to the King at five in the afternoon, just off Wiborg, as his fleet was going in to the Sound from Nord side. I was called down in the cabin to the King and there I was asked, where the Prince was with the fleet, where he went when I left him and how soon I thought, he would get up with the Enemies fleet, which all I told him and showed him on the Draught [chart] the situation of the fleet s when I left him. He wrote a letter and sent me back with it to the Prince, which I did not get to him before the Battle, as it was calm the whole night. He began to engage at 4 in the morning and it lasted till half past 8:th and then again they began at 6 and lasted till 6 o'clock in the evening. I was near to the admiral ship the whole time and saw the whole affair, which I will not mention anything about, as perhaps this letter will be opened before you get it. The day after they fought again and then 12 Russian ships that laid in Revell came in sight. - I am now stationed here on the south side of the Sound [Björkösund] under Lieutn:t Colonel Törnings command, who has his Devisian on this side to hinder any attack from this quarter. The King with the whole fleet [skärgårdsflottan] is in the middle and north side and is to day landing same troops to invade the country as far as they can. This is all the news I at present can give my friends about our operation. God knows, how it will end! I am at main time, thank God, in a good state of health. God send you, my dear Jane, my girls and all our friends the same Blessings! This letter I send by a pilot, God knows if you get it or not. I never shall get one from you, as the Post has bad getting here. You can not imagine how eagerly I wish for one. Give my duty to Svärfar [father-in-law], I hope he is home before now, and Svärmor, jag har ännu ströming qvar [mother-in-law, I still have Baltic herring left]. Give my love to yours and my Brothers and sisters. God bless you and my girls and all Relations and let us once more meet again and bless me too in mean time. Remind, my dear Janes, ever sincere and affect:t Husband

Claes Collander

The second letter was written in such haste that it was mostly in Swedish but I translated all of it. Where the original was written in English I have kept the original text in quotation marks.

"My dear Jane!" Never have I had such clear evidence of God's providence for man before now, that I exist and once again have the joy to write to you, my best friend. I believe that God has been gracious and heard your prayers, my dear Jane, and of our relatives and Wanner, who I certainly do not think have failed to worship God for me, for I confess me all unworthy so much grace that I have been blessed with. I wrote your father and yourself with an Englishman, who went to Wiborg when I lay in Björkö Sund, which I hope you have not yet received, because it was so miserable, due to my perception of the situation's severity, I thought surely that I would no longer in mortality be able to write to you. Therefore, I could not but give the dearest thing I own in their hands, that I thought would surely defend them, if God had deigned to end me that day.
I will give you a brief story about our break out. [from the blockade in Vyborg] July 1, the King ordered me to go south through Björkö Sund to reconnoiter the hostile archipelago fleet, which was some and seventy sails, great and small; On the evening of the 2nd an easterly wind appeared, and they began to set sail, coming in through the strait to attack. The gun boats of the 3:rd division was ordered to meet them, who begun the attack at 11 in the evening, continuing until 2 when our retreat was begun, as the decision was made that both fleets would break through.
Three divisions of gun boats fought at this time, at the right wing of the large enemy fleet. "The battle lasted till half past 3 o'cl. in the morning of the 3 :rd, when the great fleet of ours went under way and a retrait over all. No, mortal can imagine what we then went through. Only consider, my dear Jane, what hope then could remain, Vhat ever I should write you again, when Alexander went between one three-decker and six other ships of the Line which altogether had their guns at once bearing on us."
For 1 1/4 hour bullets rained on all sides and bombs, grenades and grape in such numbers, that its like has never existed and yet our God was so gracious and spared life and limb, not only for me, but no single one had the slightest damage, even though the sail, rigging and hull of the vessel became quite damaged. I will not now mention our losses of the fleets, because it can do so much harm so this letter would be stopped, but it is very considerable.
"At night I piloted Styrbjörn [Lt.Colonel. Victor v. Stedingks flagship] long with me at Wirorne [rocky islet outside Svensksund], there we ankered and thus the Enemies great fleet was checking ours past Hogland [island south of Svensksund] and I am afraid took some more of them. My dear Jane, I am in haste, as the Post is going, I have been writing so badly that I can not read it myself, therfore I am afraid you can not. I only will let you know that the King is at Swensksund. From him we got ordres" with all the fleeing sheep, as one after the other, to follow there.
God, don't let my predictions come true as at Björkö, to here "go through such another affair! God bless you my Dear, children and all relations and friends, give my best love to them all and I shall to my last minute remain my dear Janes eve'r affectionate husband

Claes Collander"

**Naharaht** · 01-20-2016, 09:56

Interesting letters. I do not know how rare such letters are but thank you for posting them here, Jonas.

**TexaS** · 01-20-2016, 10:22

To find Swedish letters in English I would say very rare. So it's mostly aimed at those gaming the Baltic conflicts.

Yes, I was inspired by Gunner's thread with his newly converted three-decker. It's later than the three-decker mentioned in the letter but still pretty amazing that the little brig sailed past at quite close range an at least second rate and several third and fourth rates without any casualties.