Major Jeltes was a Dutch majoor of the Indische leger who commanded the midden-colonne — the 12de bataljon, the remainder of the Barissans and two sections of artillery — on 13 February 1876 in generaal Pel’s three-colonne operation against the III Moekims, advancing from Kota Alam along the right bank of the Atjeh-rivier against the enemy-held Pango and Longbatta-Mesigit.
The Three-Colonne Operation against the III Moekims
Pel granted the troops only a couple of days’ rest at Kota Radja after the conquest of Atoeh of 3 February 1876 and the operations that had put the entire XXV Moekims in Dutch hands. On 13 February 1876 he advanced in oostelijke richting with three colonnes against the III Moekims. The rechter-colonne under B. E. Mekern — the 13de bataljon, part of the Barissans and one section of artillery — was to march stroomopwaarts along the left bank of the Atjeh-rivier. The midden-colonne under Jeltes was to advance from Kota Alam along the right bank against Pango and the Longbatta-Mesigit, the fortified stone mosque that had been in Dutch hands since 31 December 1874 but was now again enemy-held. The linker-colonne under Diepenheim — the rechter halve bataljon and a section of artillery — was to cover the flank of the midden-colonne.
Account from H. F. Meijer (1883) — the VI Moekims punitive column
Meijer, in Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876 (1883), adds Jeltes’s part of April 1876: after the murder of the patrol returning from Koewala Pantjoer in the kampong Lambaroe, the civil and military commander on 9 April sent the 12th Infantry Battalion and one company of the barisan of Pamekassan under Major Jeltes from Olehleh over Sinangri into the VI Moekims to scour the district, with the controleur Michielsen attached and charged with a strict investigation of the incident. The march — during which only the certainty was gained that one Hadji Aboe had taken part in the ambush, his house being burned in punishment — returned to Kota Radja on 11 April.
On 13 February 1876 Pango was conquered and a post opgericht. The kampong, lying opposite the Dutch post at Blang Tjoet, became the uiterste steunpunt (outermost support point) of the new linie toward Kwala Gigieng. The same day, however, the catastrophe at Atoeh overtook kapitein van Swieten’s small detachment on the drassige sawah near Lamsajoen. Pel pressed on. On 14–15 February 1876 the troops conquered Meroe, Lampermej and Tjap Octoe after hevigen tegenstand. At Tjap Octoe the troops stuitten on a sterke benteng with artillery, krachtig verdedigd, which was only taken “met veel moeite en opoffering.” The losses were enough to make Pel decide not to push further eastward but to designate Pango as the uiterste steunpunt of the new linie — judged voldoende.
Significance
Jeltes’s midden-colonne was the principal thrust of the operation, and the conquest of Pango by his column gave the Dutch the eastern pivot they had sought since 26 February 1876, when lt.-kol. Engel had reached Kwala Gigieng. The line Pango–Kwala Gigieng closed the eastern face of Pel’s projected afsluitingslinie and was, in Borel’s reading, the high-water mark of the aanvallende campaign before Pel’s death ten days later.
See Also
- Pel’s offensive against the VI, IV and IX Moekims (1875–1876)
- III Moekims
- Pango
- Longbatta-Mesigit
- Kota Alam
- Blang Tjoet
- Majoor B. E. Mekern
- Majoor Diepenheim
- Generaal Pel
- 1876
Source
Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. p. 317.