Also, Apollon Galafeyev participated in the Caucasian War of 1817-1864. As infantry commander, he took part in Adjutant General Pavel Grabbe’s Dagestan campaign against Imam Shamil from April to September 1839. Galafeyev was awarded the imperial crown to his Order of Saint Anna (1st class) for defeating Tashev-hadji (Shamil’s associate) and Order of Saint Vladimir (2nd class) with a promotion to lieutenant general for capturing Shamil’s mountain stronghold of Akhoulgo. From March to December 1840, Apollon Galafeyev participated in a military campaign against the mountaineers, commanding the so-called Chechen unit. On July 11, the famous Battle of the Valerik River took place, in which Mikhail Lermontov took part (later he would describe this event in his poem called "The Valerik"). In October 1841, Galafeyev participated in military action in the Chechen unit under the command of Pavel Grabbe and was wounded in upper abdomen with a rifle bullet. On September 7, 1842, he was shell-shocked in his right shoulder by a cannonball.