The Skirmish of April 16, 1874 was a sharp engagement fought near Kampong Lampu-Uk southeast of the Kraton of Aceh shortly before the dissolution of the Second Aceh Expedition.
Detailed Narrative
At 7:00 AM on 16 April 1874, Captain Bardok led a 100-man patrol along the eastern face of the Kraton. Upon reaching dense jungle south of Kampong Lampu-Uk, the column came under heavy concealed fire, sustaining four wounded.
Hearing heavy firing, Major Romswinckel marched out from the Kraton with 150 men and mountain artillery. Believing Lieutenant-Colonel Jacobus Pel intended to destroy the position, Romswinckel combined forces with Lieutenant Scheltus and ordered a frontal storming charge against concealed Acehnese earthworks.
The assault was repulsed by intense musket fire. A second storming attempt also failed. Upon realizing that Romswinckel had engaged without orders, Colonel Pel ordered an immediate withdrawal. The engagement cost Dutch forces 9 dead and 86 wounded (including 10 officers), underscoring the strength of Acehnese field fortifications.
See Also
Source
De expeditiën naar Atjeh 1873-1874, W.W.F. Herfkens, Koninklijke Militaire Academie, 1900, pp. 67-68.