On the first day of the shelling at Sveaborg, at 12:30, two frigates and one corvette approached Lauttasaari (Drumsö). With the support of shelling from the ships an attempt to land on the island was made, but it was warded off. The firing continued for one and a half hour. No greater harm was then done. This attempt was renewed the next day. This time the cannonade continued the whole day and even the next day. The optical telegraphy station was destroyed (but reconstructed the next day), forest and some barracks caught fire. The local batteries lead by Lt. Gen. Ramsay returned the fire. In this exchange of firing one local soldier was killed. Was it because of some confusion or for other reasons, the identity of the soldier remained unknown. However, it was later confirmed as Joseph Johan Back, a 29 years old grenadier from the province of Ostrobothnia. His tombstone with a cannonball on it is on the northern part of the island.
There is an inscription on the cannonball with the text:
Stupad vid försvaret av denna ö å Mörtnäs udde den 9 augusti 1855. Frid med hans stoft. (Fallen when defending this island at Point Mörtnäs on the 9th of August, 1855. May his ashes rest in peace.)