Jagaraga's defenses consisted of fortifications, earthen dikes and deep moats. Through the morning the KNIL continued to assault two fortifications which lay to their immediate front but ran into stout Balinese resistance and could make no headway. In the afternoon the KNIL troops came under fire from a temple complex which they subsequently stormed after heavy fighting but then lost again in a frenzied counterattack by Balinese [see illustration]. By evening KNIL ammunition supplies were running low and that combined with their inability to make any headway against fanatical Balinese resistance unsettled the troops.

As nightfall came on the KNIL withdrew to the safety of their ships lying off Sangsit. Gusti Ketut Jelantik did not order a pursuit. The fleet lingered in place for a few days but after failing to receive reinforcements set sail and returned to Java. Dutch casualties in this first battle of Jagaraga were 99 killed, 105 wounded, and 32 medically incapacitated. Balinese losses are estimated to be about 2000.

Humiliated by the defeat at Jagaraga the Governor General of the Netherlands East Indies realized that it was vitally important that Dutch prestige be restored and ordered another military expedition to be assembled. By the beginning of April 1849 a force of 4177 troops, including indigenous auxiliaries had been assembled. In addition there were a further 550 men from cavalry, artillery, engineer and medical detachments as well as 2000 coolies. A further 2000 Javanese auxiliaries were available if needed.

The whole force, less the Javanese, was to embark in 26 warships mounting 286 guns, 18 local ships, 16 landing rafts and 26 transport ships. In the meantime an alliance had been made with the Balinese Prince of Bangli [see map] who was an enemy of Buleleng. The Prince of Bangli agreed to move his army into the hills to the north of Jagaraga and cut off any possibility of Gusti Ketut Jelantik and his warriors escaping in that direction.

On the 4th of April 1849 the KNIL Expeditionary force disembarked at Buleleng town and marched the short distance to Singaraya. There they found that no roads existed between Singaraya and Jagaraga, which would make it impossible to move their artillery across country. With the KNIL advance on Jagaraga stalled diplomacy was once again attempted. The Princes of Buleleng and Karangasem as well as Gusti Ketut Jelantik arrived for negotiations in Singaraja accompanied by 12,000 warriors.

It was Gusti Ketut Jelantik's intention to overawe the Dutch with the appearance, numbers and resolve of his army. As in the past, however, negotiations came to nothing and following the departure of the Princes, Prime Minister and their army the KNIL moved its forces to the landing beaches at Sangist used in the 1848 expedition, from where an attack on Jagaraga could be more easily organized.

Dutch Colonial Campaigns in Bali 1846-1849

The First Buleleng War 1846
The Second Buleleng War 1848 - 1849
First Battle at Jagaraga 9th June 1848
Second Battle at Jagaraga 15th-16th April 1849
The Fight for the "Bat Cave": Kumbasa and Beyond
Balinese Warriors and Weapons
Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger, KNIL (Royal Dutch East Indies Army)