Pagar-Ajer was a Dutch fortified post on the left bank of the Atjeh River in the XXVI Moekims, built in February 1876 at the well-known crossing of the river at the same height as that at Pango on the right bank, in order to keep that crossing in Dutch hands and to close the enemy’s strong position between Longbatah and the river.
The post and its building
When General Pel advanced into the XXVI Moekims in February 1876 he had at first intended to plant his most advanced post near the river at the level of Lambaroe, reaching as far as Tjapoetoe; the difficulties of the terrain and the weakening of the operating force forced him to return, and he placed the post at Pango, at a general well-known crossing of the river — and, at the same height on the left bank, the post of Pagar-Ajer. The two works were built simultaneously in five days of intense effort, although the ground there gave not enough coconut timber: one face of Pagar-Ajer had to be raised in sandbag work, later covered by an earth breastwork and ditch, and timber had to come by raft from Pango and from kampong Bajoe.
The work — a square redoubt of 45-metre faces with two round bastions — lay on relatively high, dry ground that still showed the traces of the old sugar-cane fields, cleared quickly of pagars and ridges; the population’s houses standing in the vicinity were demolished for their materials, and missing quarters were made up with tents. The nearness of the large river was of great value for cleanliness and health. In the beginning of March 1876 the post bore a better look than most of the fresh works.
Purpose and history
Pagar-Ajer’s first purpose was to hold the river crossing possessed by the Dutch; the garrison — one company of infantry — was helped in it by that of Pango across the water. Together with the post at Mesigit Pagar Ajer, a short distance inward, it formed the gate of the south-east line towards the enemy ground across the river. Later in the year its garrison was one of those delivering the patrols and convoys along the restored line to Lambaroe and Kajoe-Lē, and the base of the April cleaning of the left bank of the river by the line troops, in which the hostile works were pulled down and the riverbed obstructions removed. At its depots were, with that at Mesigit Pagar-Ajer and Lambaroe, the second pair of reserve vivres magazines for two months to supply the south-east line.
See Also
Source
Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876, door H. F. Meijer (Breda: P. B. Nieuwenhuijs, 1883), chapters I (pp. 15–17), IV and V.