Kalé is a subject named in *General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh (1943) by [[Maurice Henri du Croo|M. H. du Croo, in connection with the history of Atjeh and the governorship of H. N. A. Swart.
Account in du Croo’s Generaal Swart (1943)
From Pang Bintang
In 1911 Pang Bintang was responsible for one of the setbacks of the year in Pidië. A brigade of infantry sent from its bivouac in gampong Biheuë — “squarely against the regulations” — seven soldiers, half its strength, to nearby Kalé to forage. The unfindable Pang Bintang stood in relation to the keutjhi’ (village head) of Kalé, who likewise enjoyed the confidence of the Kompeuni (“the Company (the Dutch power)”). The keutjhi’ was thus able to lure four of the seven soldiers to a distant part of the gampong. While they were there, haggling over rice with the village head’s wife, they were suddenly attacked and wounded by the keutjhi’ and five members of Pang Bintang’s band. But the wounded soldiers hit back hard, killed the keutjhi’ and one band member, and drove off the other four. The keutjhi''s revolver even remained in their hands, though a carbine disappeared. A patrol went out at once, recovered the carbine and overtook the four fugitives, all of whom proved severely wounded. The object of the attack, it appeared, had been to obtain firearms: “the bands were becoming alarmingly short of firearms.”
From The resistance in Atjeh 1908–1912
1911 brought a steadily more favourable situation, though it began with a reverse: a brigade of infantry sent from its bivouac in gampong Biheuë seven soldiers — half its strength, and squarely against regulations — to nearby Kalé to forage. The unfindable Pang Bintang stood in relation to the keutjhi’ of Kalé, who likewise enjoyed the Kompeuni’s confidence, and who lured four of the seven to a distant part of the gampong. While they were there haggling over rice with the village head’s wife, they were suddenly attacked and wounded by the keutjhi’ and five members of Pang Bintang’s band. But the wounded soldiers struck back hard, killed the keutjhi’ and a band member and drove off the other four; the keutjhi''s revolver even remained in their hands, though a carbine disappeared. A patrol went out at once, recovered the carbine and overtook the four fugitives, all severely wounded. The object had been to obtain firearms: “the bands were becoming alarmingly short of firearms.”
From keutjhi’
The keutjhi’ could be the Dutch administration’s instrument or its betrayer. In 1911 the keutjhi’ of Kalé in Pidië, who enjoyed the confidence of the Kompeuni, lured four soldiers of a foraging party to a distant part of the gampong where they were attacked by five men of Pang Bintang’s band; the wounded soldiers killed the keutjhi’ and a band member. In du Croo’s closing anecdote of 1926, an old keutjhi’ related how his toean had forgiven and forgotten a debt of fifty guilders in embezzled tax money: “his master was a truly generous master!”
See Also
- Pang Bintang
- The resistance in Atjeh 1908–1912
- keutjhi’
- H. N. A. Swart
- General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh (1943)
- Atjeh
Source
Generaal Swart, Pacificator van Atjeh (“General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh”), by M. H. du Croo, Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with the collaboration of H. J. Schmidt, Titular Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with a foreword by His Excellency Lieutenant-General K.N.I.L. (retired) G. K. Dijkstra (Maastricht: N.V. Leiter-Nypels, 1943), passim.