Kota Alam was a Dutch fortified post in the southern part of the XXVI Moekims, north of the Atjeh River in Groot-Atjeh. In 1876 it served as the link post guarding the road from Oleh Karang to Kota Radja, and its commander held the joint command over the garrisons of Kota Alam, Pango and Oleh Karang.
The work and its use
The fortification contained, in addition to the artillery detachment, buildings erected as a hospital; and because of the lack of troop quarters in and near Kota Radja, a small camp outside the work — well secured against surprise by a strong fence and broad abatis — quartered half a battalion of infantry. The post commander was instructed to have the terrain between his post and Oleh Karang cleared as soon as possible and to have a good road built there; the daily bread and meat supply of the post at Pango, fouraged at its kitchens, used that road, and the daily fight for it showed in the ambushes of 16 April, 18 June and 28 July, and the disaster between Pango and Kota Alam of 14 July.
The March communications
In March 1876 the settlement of Kota Alam marked the south-eastern edge of the secure zone of the Dutch establishment: from it, the footpath towards Oleh Karang and Pango wound through hedge-divided and ditch-crossed ground, among grave knolls and great fruit trees. It lay within reach of the garrisons and the auxiliaries sent out from Kota Radja through Penajoeng.
Account from Verstege’s Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk (1886)
Verstege notes Kota Alam’s place in both lines: in April 1875 as the point on the right bank of the Atjeh river where the eastbound chain of the position turned (from Longbatta-Missigit upstream past Blang-Tjoet and Long Zaita-Zuid) to go over Lemboe Oost and Lemboe Noord to Kota Moesapie (see Verstege’s folding map of Groot-Atjeh (1886)); in 1885 as one of the fortifications lying inside the new concentration line (see Completion of the concentrated position (March 1885)).
See Also
- Oleh Karang
- Pango
- Lamprit
- Guerilla warfare in Groot-Atjeh
- Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876
Source
Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876, door H. F. Meijer (Breda: P. B. Nieuwenhuijs, 1883), chapters I (p. 50), IV (p. 82) and V (p. 102).
Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk in zake het Atjeh-vraagstuk, door J. J. W. E. Verstege (Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy, 1886), pp. 53, 81. OCR: DLP-158.