Second Sumatran expedition

Part of the

Sumatra; conflict between Americans and Malays occurred in the southern region of the island.

Date

December 1838–January 1839

Location

Meukek, Aceh Sultanate

Result

United States victory;

Malays cease attacks on American vessels

Belligerents

United States

Netherlands

Chiefdom of Quallah Battoo

Commanders and leaders

George C. Read

T.W. Wyman

Dominique Jacques de Eerens

Unknown

Strength

Land:
360 sailors and
marine infantry
Sea:
2 frigates

unknown

United States victory;

The second Sumatran expedition was a punitive expedition by the United States Navy against inhabitants of the island of Sumatra. After Malay warriors or pirates had massacred the crew of the American merchant ship Eclipse, an expedition of two American warships landed a force that defeated the Malays in two short engagements.

In August 1838, the American trading vessel Eclipse was visiting the village of Trobongan, on Sumatra, when 24 Malays approached. The ship's second mate allowed the Malays to board after they relieved themselves of their weapons. A few moments later the Americans returned the Malays their weapons as a sign of friendship. The Malays, now rearmed with knives and other bladed weapons, attacked the crew. First they killed the second mate and then one by one the remaining men. Some of the American sailors jumped overboard but the Malays hunted them down and killed them. This was the second of such incidents. The massacre of the crew of the merchant ship Friendship by Malays had given rise to the first Sumatran expedition in 1832. News of the massacre reached Commodore George C. Read in December 1838 while he was sailing off Ceylon in command of the East India Squadron. Immediately Commodore Read in the frigate Columbia set sail southeast for Sumatra, together with the frigate John Adams. Columbia and John Adams were in the process of circumnavigating the globe in conjunction with, though not part of, the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838 to 1842. Coincidentally, the expedition to Sumatra required no detour. Columbia held almost 500 men on average and mounted 50 guns during the expedition. John Adams carried about 220 men and officers with 30 guns.

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