III Moekims Kerkoen — written in Dutch as III Moekims Kerkoen and meaning “Three Mukims of Kerkoen” — was a region of Groot-Atjeh comprising three mukims situated along the right bank of the Atjehrivier in the eastern portion of the Atjeh-oorlog theatre. As described in Kruisheer’s ATJEH ‘96, the III Moekims Kerkoen had remained free of religious-warriors and was the home of the Dutch post of Lamsoet on the right bank of the Atjeh river. The kampongs along the right bank of the Atjehrivier of the III Moekims Kerkoen had been, from 1878 to 1885, a favourite residence of marauding bands, and the region was crossed by the Geconcentreerde Linie (Concentrated Line) of the Dutch defences.
Description and Location
The III Moekims Kerkoen lay along the right bank of the Atjehrivier in the eastern part of the XXII Moekims (technically) or as a separate mukim cluster between the XXII Moekims and the XXVI Moekims. The Dutch post of Lamsoet was situated on the right bank of the Atjeh river within this mukim, and served as the river crossing between Lambaroe and Ana’ Galong. The Blokhuis Lamara was a blockhouse in or near this mukim. The Binasa-Adjé fortification was in the III Moekims Kerkoen. The mukim was crossed by the road from Lambaroe to Ana’ Galong and was bounded on the east by the Kroeng Lingkar and on the south by the V Moekims Montassik and the sawah plain of Blang Bintang.
Historical Background
The III Moekims Kerkoen had been a centre of Achehnese marauding activity from 1878 to 1885, when the kampongs along the right bank of the Atjehrivier were a favourite residence of marauding bands. With the construction of the Geconcentreerde Linie (Concentrated Line) from 1884 onward, the III Moekims Kerkoen was enclosed within the Dutch defences, and the post of Lamsoet was built on the right bank of the Atjeh river to control the crossing. Despite this, the mukim remained a thoroughfare for benden moving between the XXII Moekims and the XXVI Moekims. The III Moekims Kerkoen had remained free of religious-warriors of Teungkoe di Tiroe — that is, the religious-war bands had not established a permanent presence in the mukim, distinguishing it from the more deeply hostile regions.
Role in the 1896 Operations
The III Moekims Kerkoen was traversed by Dutch operations throughout the first semester of 1896. On 30 March 1896 the column of Van der Noordaa reached Lamsoet at 5:15 PM after the relief of the blokhuizen of Aloer Oe and Toei Selimbing, and the wounded were re-bandaged there on 31 March 1896 at 2 PM. On 17 April 1896 Lamsoet was one of the buitenposten lifted by Van Heutsz’s column. On 2 May 1896 the diversionary operation to Montassik re-talso the old post of Lamsoet without opposition and burned it; the Blokhuis Lamara nearby was the site of an ambush on 25 April 1896. On the morning of 15 June 1896 the versterkingen of the III Moekims Kerkoen were found unoccupied by the Dutch preparatory to the tuchtiging of the V Moekims Montassik. The mukim was crossed again on 17 June 1896 by returning Dutch columns.
Significance
The III Moekims Kerkoen was a transit and crossing mukim rather than a centre of organised resistance. Its inclusion within the Geconcentreerde Linie (Concentrated Line) and the establishment of the Lamsoet post had pacified the mukim sufficiently that it remained free of moslemin in the period covered by ATJEH ‘96. The mukim’s principal military significance was the Atjehrivier crossing at Lamsoet and its location athwart the routes between the XXII Moekims and the XXVI Moekims.
See Also
- Lamsoet
- Atjehrivier
- Geconcentreerde Linie
- buitenlinie
- Majoor G. P. M. van der Noordaa
- Diversie to Montassik (2 May 1896)
- Tuchtiging der V Moekims Montassik (16–17 June 1896)
- Sagi der XXII Moekims
- Sagi der XXVI Moekims
- moslemin
- 1896
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. 22, 295–296.