The Capture of Lam-Pisang and Oemar’s House (24 May 1896) — the inname van Lam Pisang en Oemar’s Huis — was the storming and capture of Teungkoe Oemar’s residence at Lam-Pisang by the Colonne Laceulle under Lt.-Col. C. J. Laceulle of the 5e Bataljon on the second day of the three-day Dutch offensive, the symbolic climax of the Dutch counter-offensive against the defection of 29 March 1896. At 10:35 a.m. on 24 May 1896, 1e luit. M. D. J. de Jongh — accompanied by only three lower ranks, the rest being in the marsh or wounded — was the first to reach Oemar’s verblijf at Lam-Pisang, immediately followed by the sectie 4e compagnie under Kapt. J. P. Linck and then a small cavalry detachment. A hoornblazer of the 3e Bataljon on the eastern hills blew the “Wilhelmus” to announce the capture. Luit. Happé pulled down an Achehnese flag. Some small cannons, furniture, and the correspondence of Umar were captured. Padi stocks in various houses were burned. Umar’s house was subsequently destroyed with dynamite, tar, petroleum.
Background
The storming of Tjot Tjako on 23 May 1896 had opened the way to Lam-Pisang. Sergeant Grebner’s initiative on the western hoogtekam had caused the Achehnese to evacuate both Lam-Pisang and Bineh Kroeng on the afternoon of the first day. Van Heutsz’s fourth message — received by the bevelhebber at 11:15 a.m. on 23 May 1896 — had reversed the initial decision to halt operations and had confirmed that the troops could advance. The stage was set for the assault on Lam-Pisang and on Oemar’s house — the symbolic heart of the Achehnese resistance and the principal objective of the three-day offensive.
The Colonne Laceulle was formed on 24 May 1896 under Lt.-Col. C. J. Laceulle of the 5e Bataljon (12 officers, 364 men). Its composition was: three compagnieën of the 5e Bataljon; two sections of mountain artillery (Vrijdag, van der Waarden); two cavalry platoons under Ritmeester Jhr. de Lannoy (3 officers, 64 riders); a detachment of engineers under Kapt. Zelle (43 minderen); ambulance; train. The Colonne was later reinforced with compagnieën of the 6e Bataljon. Concurrently, the Colonne v.d. Noordaa — three compagnieën of the 14e Bataljon (11 officers, 324 men) under Maj. van der Noordaa, with Kapt. Kronouer of the General Staff attached — was tasked with occupying Lam-Roekam and Lam-Oedjoeng in support.
The Advance of the Colonne Laceulle
Pre-dawn on 24 May 1896 the Bergcolonne (maréchaussée) occupied the southern top from which so much fire had come the day before, plus a stelling in the saddle with the lone tree. The maréchaussée discovered huts, a water put, and shot Achehnese at these positions. From these positions the maréchaussée could observe the entire valley below.
The Colonne Laceulle marched from Lam-Djamoe at 6 a.m. The bridge in the road to Pakan-Badak (broken by the enemy) had to be repaired by the engineers — an operation that talso 1½ hours. Three compagnieën of the 14e Bataljon marched toward Lam-Isi and from there to Lam-Gemoek and Lam-Roekam. The cavalry under de Lannoy reconnoitred toward Lam-Pisang.
At 8:30 a.m. the first shots came from the south-western kampongs. Laceulle advanced to the northern rand of Lam-Goe-Oe. Heavy fire came from a versterking in the south-western rand. The morning was a sequence of cavalry reports and colonne adjustments: at 9:46 a.m. the cavalry reported the gebergte west of Gemi-Roi strongly occupied; at 9:56 a.m. many enemy were descending toward Lampoih-Eumpei; at 10:06 a.m. Pasar Oleh-Gli, Rimah’s, and Gemi-Roi were ontruimd; at 10:13 a.m. Lam-Pisang and Oemar’s house were reported onbezet but under heavy fire from the west. At 10:20 a.m. the order came to advance to the south corner of Gemi-Roi — already reached.
The Storming of Lam-Pisang
The 1e compagnie of the 5e Bataljon under Kapt. Boer advanced with the 1e sectie under 1e Luit. M. D. J. de Jongh. Heavy fire from west and south-west opened as the sectie left Pasar Oleh-Gli. The colonne-commandant ordered the 4e and 2e compagnie to cross the dyke at fastest pace, with artillery in battery on the dyke answering enemy fire. The sectie of de Jongh — moving fast across the open ground — outpaced its supports.
At 10:35 a.m., 1e luit. M. D. J. de Jongh — accompanied by only three the rest being in the rawah or wounded — was the first to reach Oemar’s verblijf at Lam-Pisang. He was immediately followed by the sectie 4e compagnie under Kapt. J. P. Linck, then by a small cavalry detachment. The capture was announced by a hoornblazer of the 3e Bataljon on the eastern hills, who blew the “Wilhelmus” — the Dutch national anthem — to signal to the garrison of Lampisang that the residence had been taken. The episode is one of the most-celebrated moments of the Atjeh-oorlog: a single lieutenant, with three men, reaching the residence of the enemy commander ahead of his own supports.
The text explicitly corrects a popular legend that credited the cavalry — specifically wachtmeester Jonker — with being first into Oemar’s house. The official text credits de Jongh, noting that the cavalry legend was “minder juist” (less accurate). The correction is preserved by Kruisheer as a matter of historical record, against the romanticised version that had gained currency in the colonial press.
The Spoils and the Destruction
A patrol under 1e Luit. C. W. F. Happé pulled down an Achehnese flag — the Atjehsche vlag — that flew over the residence. The spoils of the capture included some small cannons, furniture, and the correspondence of Umar — a cache of letters and documents that would subsequently be studied by the Dutch intelligence services for insight into Umar’s network of allies and correspondents. unhusked rice stocks in various houses were burned — a deliberate destruction of the enemy’s food supply.
Oemar’s house itself was subsequently destroyed. The engineers prepared the demolition on the night of 25 May–26 May 1896 (after the third day’s operations) and the house was blown up and burned with dynamite, tar, petroleum. The destruction of the residence was a deliberate act of symbolic warfare: the house of the Panglima Prang Besar — the title conferred by the subjection of 30 September 1893 and revoked by the dismission of 26 April 1896 — was erased from the face of Atjeh.
The Concurrent Operations of the Colonne v.d. Noordaa
Concurrently, the Colonne v.d. Noordaa — three compagnieën of the 14e Bataljon under Maj. van der Noordaa — occupied Lam-Roekam and Lam-Oedjoeng. The Colonne was attached to Kapt. Kronouer of the General Staff. The occupation of Lam-Roekam and Lam-Oedjoeng secured the southern flank of the Colonne Laceulle and prevented Achehnese reinforcements from interfering with the capture of Lam-Pisang. The day’s operations closed with a failed night surprise attempt on Lam-Tiroeng / Boekit Seboen — an ambitious attempt to carry the third day’s objective by surprise that did not succeed.
Significance
The capture of Lam-Pisang and Oemar’s house on 24 May 1896 was the symbolic climax of the three-day Dutch offensive and of the Vetter interregnum as a whole. The fall of the residence — barely two months after the defection of 29 March 1896 — was a stunning reversal of fortune. The “Wilhelmus” played on the eastern hills; the Achehnese flag pulled down; the correspondence captured; the house destroyed with dynamite, tar, and petroleum — each element was invested with symbolic weight in the colonial press and in the official record. The distinction of 1e Luit. de Jongh as the first to reach the residence — and the explicit correction of the cavalry legend — were preserved by Kruisheer as a matter of historical integrity. The capture of Lam-Pisang did not, however, end the war: Oemar himself had escaped south, and his warriors would continue the resistance for years. But the strategic initiative had been recovered, and the political damage of the defection had been, in large part, repaired.
See Also
- C. J. Laceulle
- M. D. J. de Jongh
- J. P. Linck
- C. W. F. Happé
- G. P. M. van der Noordaa
- Ritmeester Jhr. L. D. C. de Lannoy
- Teuku Umar
- Lam-Pisang
- Correspondentie van Oemar
- Three-day Dutch offensive of 23–25 May 1896
- Slag bij Tjot Tjako (23 May 1896)
- Bestorming van de Stelling Daman–Lam Tjroeng–Lam Poelau (25 May 1896)
- Dismission of Teuku Oemar (26 April 1896)
- Defection of Teuku Umar (late March 1896)
- 1896
- Aceh War
Source
ATJEH ‘96, door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 2 kaarten en 4 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_2_kaarten_en4_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt, pp. 210–225.