Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-06-14
A WOMAN WARRIOR.
Wife of the Transvaal Commander
a Good Fighter.
Ii Was Through Her That the English
Were Defeated nj MnJuba-Her
Husbands Stanch Conn
rade.

Since the DAYS of Cleopatra the num-
Der of women to actually take part in
the conduct of the wars of their re-
spectiye countries has been few. Atthe
present day there is only Il woman
who. with any justice. can be termed
"a general in petticoats.' and that is
Mrs. Joubert. wife of Gen. Joubert, com
mander in chief Of IN" TrauSvaal forces.
Mrs. Jouhort has accompanied her hus-
band in all the wars hc has uudr rIaken.
Her CHEEKY face. almost hidden from
view under the folds of a huge black
capple. has become such a familiar
sight that the incungruity Of one wCm-
an walking H. and out among an armed
force Of several thousand men seems
to be a commonplace. From the day of
her earliest childhood Mrs. Joubert has
been used 10 wars alarms. She can
load and fire of n gun with almost as
much skill as slim Pet tAnglice,
"Clcver Piet"D himself, and on many oc-
casions has shown the greatest cour-
age.
1t is not generally known that IL was
TO Mrs. Joubert that the great defeat
of the English at Majuba was greatly
due. The general considered the posi-
ton unassailable, but Mrs, Joubert,
her eyes atire with patriotism urged
the attack. eventually c%onquering the
~scruples of her husband and the other
c~ommandants. The result is known.
Mrs. Jouberi's last appearance at a
war occurred during the recent Magat-
GLAND campaign, at the extreme north
of the Transvaal. An artillery. 1urgher
ard native force of nearly 10000 men
was dispatched 10 the front 10 subGue
the rebel chief. MPefu. entrenched in a
series of rocky Businesses backed by the
Limpopo. Notwithstanding what was
feared would be the bloody nature Of
the war, the heat-oyer 100 degrees in
the shade-and the fever. the plucky
woman Joined the general a week or
two after his arrival at the Hoofd Lager,
accompanied only by two or three little
Kailir maids.
Finding Gen. Joubert in an anything
but comfortable tent, she routed him
out. erected a tent of her own. and in
stalled him amid all the comforts of
home. What was more, she recon-
structed the generals mess arrange
ments and cooked his meals with her
own hands. The wife Of the COM
handing general peeling potatoes was
an ordinary sight during the campaign.
On one occasion during the war the
news came into camp that the general
had been taken IN 80 miles away, in the
midst of a country full of hostile ma
tives and deadly with malaria. without
hesitation. Mrs. Jouhert made pre- para
tons 10 go and join her husband. and
there is little doubt that she would have
accomplished her purpose had not more
reassurfng news come TO hand.
The war came TO an early close owing
TO the military genius Of Gen. Joubert.
and. ii is not too much to say. his bet
ter half. The plans of the campaign
from the time Mrs. Jouhert arrived till
the camp was struck were talked over
ut her dinner table, her sound advice
and almost unequaled knowledge OF
Kaihr warfare being held in high es-
TEEN.
Although such a warrior. Mrs. Jou-
bart is a true woman. There is Moth
ing masculine about either her appear
ance or manner Unlike most Dutch
A~frikander me she is slim, cspe-
cially when compared with the robust
proportions Of Gen. Piet Joubert. Won
derfully active. for her co years, and
over. she can accomplish as much hard
work in an hour as town-bred women
would in n week.
Needless 10 say. she is immensely pop
ular among the hurghers. To the sick
she j. ever ready TO lend assistance. and
MANY a dying man has blessed her min
isirations. When not on the warpaIh,
Mr. Jouhert is ~singularly retiring.
MANY Pretorians have never seen her,
although she lives in their midst, in
the town house Of the general. off Mar.
ket street. Her preference. however.
II for The quiet of the farm, where She
Loves 10 remain until called forth to the
battles Of her country by wifely affec-
tion.-Chicago Times-1Ierald.