H. G. Boumeester was a lieutenant-general of the Indies army, commander of the Indies army in the late 1870s, who arrived in Atjeh on 19 August 19 August 1879 — after the close of large-scale operations — to inform himself personally of the state of affairs, and whose report paid great tribute to the governor Van der Heyden: “On the whole it appears to me that the course followed since June 1878 has produced the expected results, and it is certain that the favourable and, comparatively speaking, even very favourable outcome that has now been obtained is due in very considerable measure to the energetic and skilful way in which the commander has carried out the instructions given him by the government… The nation is undoubtedly greatly indebted to him.”
The Visit to Atjeh, 19 August 1879
After the Selimoen expedition of 13 August 13 August – 15 August 15 August 1879 and the dissolution of the active columns on 5 September 5 September [1879], Boumeester arrived in Atjeh on 19 August 19 August [1879] to inform himself personally of the state of affairs. His visit was the formal recognition by the commander of the Indies army of the success of Van der Heyden’s campaigns of 1878-1879 — the capture of Montassik of 28 July 28 July 1878, the submission of Habib Abdurrahman of 13 October 13 October 1878, the capture of Indrapuri of 24 March 24 March 1879, the capture of Gleiêng of 9 July 9 July 1879, the submission of the XXVI Moekims of 4 July 4 July 1879, and the Selimoen expedition of August.
The Report
In his report Boumeester brought great homage to Van der Heyden:
“On the whole it appears to me that the course followed since June 1878 has produced the expected results, and it is certain that the favourable and, comparatively speaking, even very favourable outcome that has now been obtained is due in very considerable measure to the energetic and skilful way in which the commander has carried out the instructions given him by the government. Was he in the performance of this task powerfully supported by his chiefs of staffs and services, the various corps-commanders and further officers and rank-and-file, who on the whole excelled by devotion and loyal performance of duty — certain it is that the powerful individuality of the commander has given the decision. To the bold, skilfully designed plan of operations, according to which Indrapuri was mastered, the right river-bank cleared, Gleiêng attacked, the XXVI Moekims entered from various sides, and Selimoen visited by columns from Lamtobah and Indrapuri, we owe the great success. Only in this way could so much be obtained in relatively short time. The commander knew no obstacles and went with firm will towards the proposed goal. The nation is undoubtedly greatly indebted to him.”
Account from Verstege’s Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk (1886)
Verstege records the commander-in-chief’s inspection: from 19 August to 20 September 1879 luitenant-generaal Boumeester, Kommandant van het Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger, visited Atjeh and crossed the territory of Groot-Atjeh escorted only by a small cover, “zonder een schot gehoord, zonder een vijand gezien te hebben” (“without hearing a shot, without having seen an enemy”). The report laid by that army commander before the government was of the brightest: “Naar het schijnt, is eindelijk de overtuiging tot de Atjehsche bevolking doorgedrongen, dat wij de sterksten zijn, en dat het hopeloos is zich langer te verzetten” (“It seems that at last the conviction has penetrated to the Atjehnese population that we are the stronger, and that it is hopeless to resist any longer”). In the same book he also appears as the artillery commander of the first expedition (luitenant-kolonel Boumeester), whose general report to the inquiry is quoted about the too heavy 8 cm guns (see Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger).
See Also
- K. van der Heyden
- Indies Army
- Campaign against the XXII Moekims (1879)
- Campaign against the XXVI Moekims (July 1879)
- Selimoen Expedition (August 1879)
- Capture of Indrapuri (24 March 1879)
- Capture of Gleiêng (9 July 1879)
- Submission of Habib Abdurrahman (13 October 1878)
- Aceh War
Source
De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 113-114.
H. G. Boumeester was a lieutenant-general of the Indies army, commander of the Indies army in the late 1870s, who arrived in Atjeh on 19 August 19 August 1879 — after the close of large-scale operations — to inform himself personally of the state of affairs, and whose report paid great tribute to the governor Van der Heyden: “On the whole it appears to me that the course followed since June 1878 has produced the expected results, and it is certain that the favourable and, comparatively speaking, even very favourable outcome that has now been obtained is due in very considerable measure to the energetic and skilful way in which the commander has carried out the instructions given him by the government… The nation is undoubtedly greatly indebted to him.”
The Visit to Atjeh, 19 August 1879
After the Selimoen expedition of 13 August 13 August – 15 August 15 August 1879 and the dissolution of the active columns on 5 September 5 September [1879], Boumeester arrived in Atjeh on 19 August 19 August [1879] to inform himself personally of the state of affairs. His visit was the formal recognition by the commander of the Indies army of the success of Van der Heyden’s campaigns of 1878-1879 — the capture of Montassik of 28 July 28 July 1878, the submission of Habib Abdurrahman of 13 October 13 October 1878, the capture of Indrapuri of 24 March 24 March 1879, the capture of Gleiêng of 9 July 9 July 1879, the submission of the XXVI Moekims of 4 July 4 July 1879, and the Selimoen expedition of August.
The Report
In his report Boumeester brought great homage to Van der Heyden:
“On the whole it appears to me that the course followed since June 1878 has produced the expected results, and it is certain that the favourable and, comparatively speaking, even very favourable outcome that has now been obtained is due in very considerable measure to the energetic and skilful way in which the commander has carried out the instructions given him by the government. Was he in the performance of this task powerfully supported by his chiefs of staffs and services, the various corps-commanders and further officers and rank-and-file, who on the whole excelled by devotion and loyal performance of duty — certain it is that the powerful individuality of the commander has given the decision. To the bold, skilfully designed plan of operations, according to which Indrapuri was mastered, the right river-bank cleared, Gleiêng attacked, the XXVI Moekims entered from various sides, and Selimoen visited by columns from Lamtobah and Indrapuri, we owe the great success. Only in this way could so much be obtained in relatively short time. The commander knew no obstacles and went with firm will towards the proposed goal. The nation is undoubtedly greatly indebted to him.”
See Also
- K. van der Heyden
- Indies Army
- Campaign against the XXII Moekims (1879)
- Campaign against the XXVI Moekims (July 1879)
- Selimoen Expedition (August 1879)
- Capture of Indrapuri (24 March 1879)
- Capture of Gleiêng (9 July 1879)
- Submission of Habib Abdurrahman (13 October 1878)
- Aceh War
Source
De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 113-114.
Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk in zake het Atjeh-vraagstuk, door J. J. W. E. Verstege (Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy, 1886), pp. 62, 122 note. OCR: DLP-158.