The Conquest of the 26 Moekims of 1–4 July 1879 — de verovering der 26 Moekims — was the four-day military campaign by which the Dutch forces under General van der Heijden, beginning on 1 July 1 July 1879, subdued the 26 Moekims — one of the two seaward Sagi’s (divisions) of Groot-Atjeh — and thereby, together with the conquest of the 22 Moekims completed in half June 1879 and the subsequent expedition to Selimoen, brought the entire valley of Groot-Atjeh under Dutch control. The campaign was completed “met volkomen succes” (with complete success) in four days.
The Campaign
On 1 July 1 July 1879 the campaign against the 26 Moekims began, and was completed with full success in four days. Then there was still an expedition to Selimoen, far in the interior. Remote chiefs submitted. All of Groot-Atjeh was Dutch. “De schrik was er in” (the terror was in them). The irreconcilable principal chiefs withdrew to Kemala, the hinterland of Pedir. The return march from Selimoen was a true triumph.
Significance
The conquest of the 26 Moekims, together with the conquest of the 22 Moekims of March–June 1879 and the Selimoen expedition, brought the entire valley of Groot-Atjeh under Dutch control for the first and only time before the final pacification under Van Heutsz after 1898. The conquest would, however, prove transient: under the civil government of Pruijs van der Hoeven and Laging Tobias (1881–1884), the endless patrols that Van der Heijden had deemed necessary to maintain the peace were virtually abolished, the enemy reorganised, and the concentration system of 1884 contracted the Dutch stelling back to the perimeter of 1876.
See Also
- Conquest of the 22 Moekims (March-June 1879)
- Selimoen expedition
- 26 Moekims
- 22 Moekims
- 25 Moekims
- Sagi (Atjeh)
- General van der Heijden
- Selimoen
- Kemala
- Pedir
- Groot-Atjeh
- Concentratie-stelsel (1884-1896)
- Pruijs van der Hoeven
- Laging Tobias
- Joannes Benedictus van Heutsz
- Aceh War
- Atjeh-oorlog
- 1 July
- July 1879
- June 1879
- March 1879
- 1879
- 1884
- 1898
Source
De Atjeh-Oorlog: Kort Overzicht van Oorsprong, Verloop en Gevolg, door J. A. Kruijt. ‘s-Gravenhage: Loman & Funke, 1896. Chapter VI, “Het bestuur van generaal van der Heijden, van Juni 1877 tot April 1881.” OCR-filename: 20260716_140310_DLP-101-De_Atjeh_oorlog_Nemotron-OCR-v2_OCR.txt, p. 31.