The Trip to XXII Moekims — tocht naar de XXII Moekims van 23 tot en met 27 Augustus 1896 — was a five-day Dutch reconnaissance of the XXII Moekims of Groot-Atjeh, undertaken by a colonne under Luitenant-Kolonel G. F. Soeters between 23 August 23 and 27 August 1896. The trip formed part of the broader Dutch strategy of the second semester of 1896 — the slow extension of effective Dutch knowledge of, and influence over, the XXII Moekims, the sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) of Panglima Polim, in preparation for the operations of October–November 1896 which would include the temporary occupation of Indrapoeri and the capture of Kota Ba Teuē.
The Strategic Context
By late August 1896, the Dutch, under Stemfoort’s second tenure, had extended their effective control from the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line) into the XXVI Moekims and the IV Moekims (Kroeng-Raba). The XXII Moekims — the sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) of Panglima Polim, one of the principal Acehnese commanders of the war — remained, however, only partially under Dutch control. The trip to the XXII Moekims of 23–27 August 1896 was thus both a reconnaissance and a machtsvertoon (show of force) — designed to ascertain the disposition of the Acehnese forces in the XXII Moekims and to demonstrate the Dutch capacity for force projection into the sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) of Panglima Polim. The trip was undertaken in the same period as the occupation of Samahani in late August 1896 — the occupation of a forward position in the VII Moekims Baid which would serve as a base for further operations in the XXII Moekims.
The Colonne under Soeters
The colonne for the trip to the XXII Moekims was commanded by Luitenant-Kolonel Soeters — the same officer who had commanded the 2e colonne at the surprise of Ana’ Galoeng of 29 June 1896 and who had conducted the reconnaissance of the XXVI Moekims of 24 July 1896. The composition of the colonne is not separately narrated by Kruisheer in the detail given for the surprise of Ana’ Galoeng, but the operation is recorded in the Inhoud (Table of Contents) of ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel as one of the principal operations of August 1896. The trip traversed the XXII Moekims over five days, from 23 August to 27 August 1896, and assessed the political disposition of the sagi — the disposition of the hoeloebalang (territorial chief (uleebalang)) class and the extent of Panglima Polim’s following.
Significance
The Trip to XXII Moekims of 23–27 August 1896 is significant in the documentary record of ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel as the most extensive Dutch engagement with the political base of Panglima Polim in the second semester of 1896. The trip — undertaken in the same period as the occupation of Samahani — formed part of the broader Dutch strategy of the second semester: the slow extension of effective Dutch knowledge of the XXII Moekims in preparation for the operations of October–November 1896. The intelligence gathered on the trip would inform the Dutch planning for the temporary occupation of Indrapoeri and the capture of Kota Ba Teuē — operations which would establish the third Dutch forward position beyond the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line) and which would open the way for the second Selimoen expedition of 3–6 November 1896.
See Also
- ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel (book by A. Kruisheer)
- G. F. Soeters
- J. W. Stemfoort
- Panglima Polim
- XXII Moekims
- Occupation of Samahani (late August 1896)
- Reconnaissance of the XXVI Moekims (24 July 1896)
- Surprise of Ana’ Galoeng (29 June 1896)
- Temporary Occupation of Indrapoeri (28 October 1896)
- Capture of Kota Ba Teuē (28 October 1896)
- Second Selimoen Expedition (3–6 November 1896)
- Stemfoort’s Second Tenure as Civiel en Militair Gouverneur (11 July – 17 November 1896)
- Geconcenteerde Linie
- Groot-Atjeh
- Aceh War
- 1896
- 23 August
- 27 August
- 1913
Source
ATJEH ‘96. Tweede Deel (2c Deel), door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 3 kaarten en 6 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-90-Atjeh_96_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_3_kaarten_en_6_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt., pp. 8, 83, 100, 105, 114, 121.