Suworowweg Elm-Schwanden

On the morning of September 29, 1799, it was decided to abandon the advance towards Schwyz and instead divert eastwards over the Pragel Pass towards Glarus. Only withdrawal or surrender remained. Thus the army set out from Schwanden to Elm on October 4. The advancing French entangled the Russians in initial skirmishes at Mitlödi and Schwanden, and at the entrance to the Sernftal in fierce battles. The French pressured the Russian troops not only in the valley floor but also with a detachment from Sool. Nevertheless, most of the troops reached Elm on the evening of October 5. Suworow quartered in the stately house of the late landvogt Freitag. On Sunday night, October 6, in heavy snowfall, the extremely arduous march over the Panixer Pass began. About 15,000 men of the original 22,000 reached Panix; half of the horses and mules as well as the entire mountain artillery lost their lives.