The Rivierbenting was a Dutch fortification (benting) on the Atjeh River north-east of Kota Radja — so named from its position at the river — which was established on 7 November 7 November 1874 together with the fortifications at Lemboe, Berauw, and Lemboecq as one of the chain of fortified villages that formed the eastern outwork of the Dutch position at Kota Radja in the middle phase of the Atjeh-oorlog. The Rivierbenting marked the point at which the column of 13 November 13 November 1874 — see Benting Kota Alam operation — reached the Atjeh River by way of the Pedir dike before turning upstream to the site chosen for the new Benting Kota Alam.
The Fortification of 7 November 1874
On 7 November 7 November 1874 Dutch troops “hadden zich meester gemaakt van eenige krachtig versterkte vijandelijke stellingen in de kampong Lemboecq (ten N.O. van Kota Radja) en aldaar nieuwe versterkingen Lemboe. Berauw en de Rivierbenting ingericht en bezet.” The Rivierbenting was thus a newly-constructed Dutch work, named for its river-side position, and was occupied as part of the same operation as the Lemboe and Berauw works.
The 13 November 1874 Movement
The Benting Kota Alam operation of 13 November 1874 began from the Rivierbenting. The column under Luitenant-Kolonel Ruempol crossed the bridge at Pakan Atjeh, advanced along the trenches “op geringen afstand ten N. daarvan gelegen,” reached the benting Berauw, and then “boog de colonne in zuidelijke richting om, bereikte aldus langs den Pedirdijk de Atjeh-Rivier nabij de Rivierbenting, en volgde daarna stroomopwaarts de rivier tot Kota Alam.” The Rivierbenting was thus a recognised landmark on the Atjeh River at the point where the column left the Pedir dike and entered the river road to Kota Alam.
See Also
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- J. L. J. H. Pel
- M. C. E. Ruempol
- Lemboecq
- Kuta Alam
- Benting Kota Alam operation (13 November 1874)
- Acheh River
- Pedir
- Benting
- Aceh War
- Koeta Radja
- 1874
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 24, 26. Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.