Lohong was a landschap (territory) in the interior of Groot-Atjeh, to which Toekoe Oemar verlaat Lepong en vestigt zich in Lohong — left Lepong and settled — in July 1896, and where he remained through the second semester of 1896. The landschap was governed by a kedjoeroean — a council of headmen — with whom Oemar in onmin was geraakt (had fallen out) in the late summer of 1896, a political deterioration which the Dutch sought to exploit in their planning for the colonne tegen Oemar (column against Umar). The intelligence on Lohong and on Oemar’s deteriorating position there — gathered on the excursie to Lepong and Lohong of 10–14 August 1896 — formed the basis of Dutch strategic planning for the next four months.
Toekoe Oemar in Lohong
The removal of Oemar from Lepong to Lohong in July 1896 was a significant strategic shift. Lepong — the region which had been the centre of Oemar’s operations throughout the first semester — had been the object of repeated Dutch operations: the three-day offensive of 23–25 May 1896, the tuchtiging of Lam-Krak of 9–10 June 1896, and the Ladoeng landing of 22–23 June 1896. The removal to Lohong — a more inland and less accessible region — was Oemar’s response to the increasing Dutch pressure on Lepong. The move to Lohong was, however, accompanied by a political deterioration: wijl hij in onmin met den kedjoeroean was geraakt, had hij zich alleen wat meer binnenwaarts verplaatst (since he had fallen out with the kedjoeroean, he had moved only somewhat further inland). The deterioration of Oemar’s relations with the kedjoeroean (council of headmen) of Lohong suggested that his political position in the interior was becoming increasingly precarious.
The Dutch Intelligence on Lohong
The Dutch intelligence on Lohong was gathered on the excursie to Lepong and Lohong of 10–14 August 1896. Uit Lohong terugkeerende lieden, die brieven voor den controleur van Oleh-leh van de kedjoeroean medebrachten, deelden mede, dat Oemar zich nog wel degelijk in dat landschap ophield — people returning from Lohong, who brought letters for the controleur of Oleh-leh from the kedjoeroean, reported that Oemar was still indeed in that territory. The intelligence further established that schatten en kostbaarheden waren door hem bij verschillende welgestelde lieden in dat landschap verborgen, bevreesd als hij was, ze, bij een nieuw bezoek onzer troepen, niet in veiligheid te kunnen brengen (treasures and valuables had been hidden by him with various well-to-do people in that territory, afraid as he was that, on a new visit by our troops, he would not be able to bring them to safety), and that zijn eigen bende telde 100 man (his own band numbered 100 men).
Significance
Lohong is significant in the documentary record of ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel as the landschap in which Toekoe Oemar was located throughout the second semester of 1896. The intelligence on Lohong — gathered on the excursie of August 1896 — formed the basis of Dutch strategic planning for the colonne tegen Oemar, the operation which the cholera epidemic of December 1896 would prevent from taking the field. Lohong thus represents both the geographical locus of Oemar’s resistance in the second semester of 1896 and the strategic objective of the Dutch planning which the cholera epidemic would frustrate.
See Also
- ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel (book by A. Kruisheer)
- Teuku Umar
- Lepong
- Kedjoeroean
- Excursie to Lepong and Lohong (10–14 August 1896)
- Cholera Epidemic in Atjeh (December 1896)
- Three-day Dutch offensive of 23–25 May 1896
- Tuchtiging of Lam-Krak Moekims (9–10 June 1896)
- Ladoeng Landing and Glé Broeë Attack (22–23 June 1896)
- Oleh-leh
- Groot-Atjeh
- Aceh War
- 1896
- 1913
Source
ATJEH ‘96. Tweede Deel (2c Deel), door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 3 kaarten en 6 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-90-Atjeh_96_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_3_kaarten_en_6_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt., pp. 7, 29, 62–80, 82, 154.