First Sumatran expedition

First Sumatran expedition
Part of the Sumatran expeditions

U.S. Infantry assaulting the Acehnese forts at Kuala Batu in 1832
Date6–9 February 1832
Location
Result American-Dutch victory
Belligerents
United States United States
 Netherlands
Chiefdom of Kuala Batee
Commanders and leaders
Commodore John Downes
Governor-General Johannes van den Bosch
Uleëbalang Po Muhammad
Strength
Land:
282 marine infantry and sailors
Sea:
1 frigate
Land:
~500 warriors
5 forts
Sea:
3 proas
Casualties and losses
2 killed
11 wounded
~300 Civilians killed or wounded
~150 Warriors killed or wounded
5 forts destroyed
3 proas sunk

The First Sumatran expedition, which featured the Battle of Quallah Battoo (Aceh: Kuala Batèë, Indonesian: Kuala Batu) in 1832, was a punitive expedition by the United States Navy against the village of Kuala Batee, presently a subdistrict in Southwest Aceh Regency. The reprisal was in response to the massacre of the crew of the merchantman Friendship a year earlier. The frigate Potomac and its crew defeated the local uleëbalang (ruler)'s forces and bombed the settlement. The expedition was successful in stopping Sumatran attacks on U.S. shipping for six years until another vessel was plundered under different circumstances, resulting in a Second Sumatran expedition in 1838.