During a march on the 7th the two Danish brigades moved through Bornhøved. At 10 in the morning they paused a small distance north of the town as the men were fatigued from marching and the intense fighting of the last few days. 1st brigade deployed for defence, occupying the hills around the town with Holstenske 3rd and 4th supported by 2 cannons from battery Gønner. The jaeger company from Oldenborgske 4th and a company of Slesvigske Jaeger corps 2ndsupported by the 6th squadron of hussars occupied the terrain south of town. The remainder of the 1st brigade deployed behind the Holstenske battalions, while the 2nd brigade deployed in march columns north of the town.
L´Allemand, leading the rear guard, approached the town, marching his force on the road. In front of the rear guard marched 3rd Jydske regiment 1st, followed by the train and battery Gerstenberg. On both sides of the road marched a battalion from the Holstenske Sharpshooters (1st and 2nd). The Holstenske cavalry regiment covered the battery and the train while the rear were covered by 2 squadrons of the 17th Lituanian Uhlan regiment.
The Swedish cavalry vanguard commanded by general Sköldebrand had trouble maintaining contact with the Danes, as the Danes had destroyed a bridge near Gross Rönnau. Sköldebarnd commanded 16 squadrons, but around 3 in the afternoon only 11 squadrons were ready to pursue the Danes (6 squadrons of Mörnerske hussars, 2 squadrons Schillske hussars, 1 squadron Skånske hussars and 2 squadrons Skånske carabiners) as 3 Skånske hussar squadrons had lost their way and 2 carabiner squadrons were still in the process of crossing the Trave river. L´Allemand´s forces reached Bornhøved and reinforced the Danish defence of the town. As L´Allemand's cavalry started moving through the town in march column the Swedish cavalry attacked. Charging towards the thin Danish lines around the town they were met by artillery fire from battery Gønner and precise musket fire from the jaegers. Several Swedish hussars fell as did a colonel and his aide. The Swedish cavalry managed to make an attack on the Polish cavalry in march column, who tried to save themselves by forcing their way through the town, which caused the Holstenske cavalry to be caught inside the town in column between battery Gerstenberg and the panicked polish lancers. 2 Mörnske squadrons attacked the Holstenske Sharpshooters 2nd, which were caught in the process of forming a square. The Holstenske Sharpshooters and the Oldenborgske jaegers were both routed. The Swedish cavalry, who had routed the 2 Danish battalions had been disordered by the fire from the Oldenborgske jaegers and now they managed to get lost in the town and add to the confusion in the streets of the Bornhøved.
On the Eastern side of the town were the Holstenske sharpshooters 1st, in march column supported by the Slesvigske jaeger company and one company of the Holskenske Sharpshooters 1st lying in skirmish lines behind a ditch. One of the Mörnske squadrons charged the Slesvigske jaegers, who quickly fell back while delivering a devastating fire upon the horsemen. The Jaegers fell back to the Holstenske Sharpshooters in march column, who received the enemy attack with well aimed musket fire, killing the Swedish squadron commander. The Swedes fell back in total disorder. The attack on the Sharpshooter battalion were renewed by a squadron of the carabiniers, but this squadron was also repulsed with considerable loss of life. The exhausted jaegers and sharpshooters later fell back joining other Danes on the Western side of the town. In the town the Jydske 1st were caught by enemy hussars, as the Danes tried to leave the cemetery, where they had fortified themselves. The Danes who had no intentions of fleeing, started to attack the Swedish cavalry with their bayonets (see Russian Grenadiers are not the only ones who charged mounted cavalry). Several Holstenske cavalrymen followed this example and small skirmishes evolved in the town. As battery Gerstenberg moved out of the town to safety, a horde of Poles, Danes and Swedes came pouring out of the town on the road behind the battery, which had been blocking the exit north. The Poles and Danes were fleeing from the Swedish hussars, who nearly overran the Prince of Hessen and l´Allemands head quarter outside the town. But major Løvenørn had prepared for the Swedish attack through the town, and as the Swedish cavalry came pouring from the town he ordered battery Gønners 2 cannons and the 2 Holstenske battalions to pour shrapnel and musket fire into the enemy cavalry. Some of the first volleys hit both retreating Danish cavalry and the charging Swedish, but the fleeing Danes soon managed to get clear of the Swedes who were slaughtered by cannon and musket fire. The Swedes fled back through the town, where they were met by musket fire from Jydske 1st still holding the cemetery and isolated pockets scattered around the town. As the Sharpshooters outside town saw the Swedish cavalry flee they overcame their exhaustion and advanced double quick while firing at the fleeing Swedish flank.
The Swedish cavalry fell back and the Danes withdrew from the town. The Danish casualties were 11 dead and 45 wounded. 75 Danes had been taken prisoner. The Swedes had lost 80 dead and wounded along with 128 dead horses.
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