Battle of Matrand

Battle context

The Battle of Matrand, fought near the villages of Matrand and Skotterud in Eidskog on 5 August 1814, was the bloodiest engagement of the Swedish-Norwegian War of 1814. Norwegian forces under Andreas Krebs, numbering between 2,500 and 3,822 men, faced a smaller Swedish force of 1,200 to 1,400 under Carl Gahn. Swedish casualties exceeded 340, with 270 of those taken prisoner, while Norwegian losses stood at approximately 50 killed, 60 wounded, and 36 captured. The disparity in losses represented a significant tactical setback for Sweden within the brief conflict, demonstrating that Norwegian forces were capable of inflicting disproportionate damage on a numerically inferior opponent despite the broader strategic pressure Sweden was applying during the war.