Okey...
So Alexander Gordon, a Scottish general in Russian service, estimated the Russian fighting force at Lesnaya to be 28,000 men strong in the battle in his book about Peter I. That is, 20,000 men strong initial force with Peter and another 8,000 men with Bauer arriving only later in the battle.
Does this indirectly say that it was 9,000–11,000 irregulars present fighting for the Russians? I don't know the original source of the numbers, this is all I got unfortunately. However, if we are to accept that the Russian regular force was 12,000–13,000 men strong initially attacking the Swedes, and another 5,000 joined up later under Bauer (about 900 of these were positioned at Propoisk to block the Swedish army) it indirectly says that it was 7,000–8,000 irregulars present at the beginning alongside the 12,000–13,000 regulars, plus another 3,000 arriving with Bauer and his 5,000 dragoons.
I'm seeking the help from Russians who shares the same interest in the Great Northern War as I do. I know there's people on this site with great knowledge. My question is basically, what original source did Gordon base his numbers on?
Do you think this is a similar case like that of Poltava, where the irregular numbers fighting in the battle were huge (some historians estimate the irregulars present at Poltava to an incredible number of 30,000 men!)
https://books.google.fr/books?id=XfIIAA ... &q&f=false
I can't translate the text in this book, anyone mind translating the information about the battle of Lesnaya?
I refuse to believe this site doesn't have people with great knowledge about older sources of the time.
From Russian Wikipedia:
"При этом необходимо понимать, что это официальное изречение российского государя, и как было отмечено выше, ни на каком этапе сражения царские войска не насчитывали численно меньше, чем войска шведского короля. На первом этапе боя 12622 чел. регулярных сил "Корволанта" и нескольким тысячам иррегулярной калмыцко-казацкой конницы противостояло 7-8 тыс. шведов. На втором этапе боя хотя к шведам вернулась часть войск из посланных к Пропойску (3 тыс.чел.), что увеличило силы Левенгаупа примерно до 9-10 тысяч с учётом потерь, но к силам Петра I постоянно присоединялись части корпуса Боура (всего он насчитывал незадолго до битвы у Лесной 14840 чел.) и основные силы иррегулярной кавалерии казаков и калмыков (до 10 тыс. чел.)"