The Swedish fortress of Svartholm outside Lovis, under command of Major Carl Magnus Gripenberg. is ill-prepared for a war.

While the garrison is seven hundred men strong, only a third of the men have actual functioning weapons, while most of the fortress' guns have no carriages.

The fortress has fallen into disrepair and lacks both adequate food and ammunition stores.

Even the wells are found to be unusable.

The Russians, after starting the siege on February 21, issue a surrender demand for the fort, but this is refused by the Swedes.

The Russians had repeated their demand to surrender the Swartholm fortress on March 2 but without success.

After a meager Russian bombardment, Gripenberg had agreed to negotiations on March 10.

The fortress surrenders to the Russians on March 18 after a siege that has lasted roughly a month, with just one man having been wounded in action.