The Battle of Sehested was fought on 10 December 1813 during the Dano-Swedish War of 1813–1814 between a Danish army under Prince Frederik of Hesse and a Coalition force led by Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn.

Near Sehested, Holstein, Frederik's troops defeated the Coalition army, inflicting over 1,100 casualties on von Wallmoden-Gimborn's force while suffering only 500.

The Coalition favored Sweden's claims for an annexation of Norway, and in March 1813, the king decided to renew his treaty of alliance with France; a Danish expeditionary force, 13,000 strong under the orders of Prince Frederik of Hesse (brother-in-law of the monarch) was then deployed in the Schleswig-Holstein region and supported the forces of Marshal Louis Nicolas Davout in his campaigns in the Hamburg area against the multinational troops of the Russian general Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn.

Shortly after Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig on 19 October 1813, Davout received orders to defend against the advancing Coalition armies.

If they marched west in an attempt to reach a defensive position at Rendsborg, they would likely cross paths and be forced to confront Wallmoden’s infantry.

French General Lallemand's Advanced Guard deployed into battle formation, and the Danish vanguard halted to allow them to clear the enemy from the village.

Major Baumberg, commanding the Coalition forces holding Holtsee, spotted the Danish army, but had no intention of engaging an entire corps with only three battalions.

When Danish troops passed the southern end of the causeway leading through Haby, a detachment under Major Berger was left to prevent Baumberg from descending on the rear of the convoy.

This task was virtually impossible, as they could only form up in a column eight men wide, and the attack was beaten off with such heavy casualties, that Baumberg was effectively cut out of the action.

The Danish army formed a line alongside the southern edge of the town and a detachment under Major Bie, consisting of the 1st battalion of the Funen Infantry Regiment and the Friis battery, were sent to cover the ground between Sehested and Hohenfelde, which the Coalition left wing had retreated across.

[3] The leading column of the 5th battalion of the Legion was charged by the Funen Dragoon Regiment, but despite the attempt, was unable to form an infantry square in time.

[3] In a desperate attempt to break the Danish line, Wallmoden ordered Mecklenburg-Schwerin mounted Jägers to charge the southern part of Sehested.

Prince Frederik ordered the Holstein Cavalry Regiment forward to try and convert this retreat into a rout, but their attack were beaten off by overwhelming Coalition musketfire and they fell back to the northern bank of the Eider.

Under heavy bombardment, Wallmoden now began to withdraw across the Cluvensieck bridge, taking up a defensive position facing back across the canal.

[3] The Danish army reached Rendsburg without further incident, where it established a defensive position along the course of the Eider; with Napoleon beaten and fleeing to France, however, King Frederick IV realized the futility of any further resistance and immediately signed an armistice with the Coalition powers in order to start peace negotiations.