The Holly chieftain., 1899-05-12
4 WOMAN SOLDIER
rhe wife Of General Jeuhert. csns
nander-in-Chief Of the
Transvaal.

Tsansvaal.
Since the days OF Cleopatra the mum.
Ger OF women to actually take part In
he conduct of the wars OF their re-
tpective countries has been few. Attic
present day there is only one woman
who, with any justice, can be termed
"a general in petticoats," and that il
Mrs. Joubert. wife Of Gen. Joubert, conf
mander in chief OF the Transyanl forces.
Mrs. Joubert has accompanied her hus-
band in all the wars he has undertaken.
Her CHEEKY face, almost hidden from
view under the folds Of huge black
capple, has become such . familiar
sight that the incongrufty of one wom-
an walking in and out among an armed
force of several thousand men seems
to be o commonplace. From the days of
her earliest childhood Mrs. Joubert has
been used to wars alarms. She can
load and FIRE OF gun with almost ~
much skill as "Slim Piet" (Anglice.
"Clever Piet'') himself. and on many oc-
casions has shown the greatest cour-
age.
1t is not generally known that It was
to Mrs. Joubert that the great defeat
Of the English at Majuba was greatly
due. The general considered the POSI-
tion unassailable, but Mrs. Joubert.
her eyes afire with patriotism, urged
the attack, eventually conquering the
scruples of her husband and the other
commandants. The result is known.
Mrs. Joubert's last appearance at
war occurred during the recent Magat-
GLAND campaign, at the extreme north
,f the Transvual. An artillery, burgher
and native force Of nearly 10000 men
was dispatched to the front to subdue
the rebel chief, M'Pefu, entrenched in a
series of rocky businesses backed by tho
Limpopo. Notwithstanding what was
feared would be the bloody nature Of
the war, the heat-over 100 degrees in
he shade-and the fever, the plucky
woman joined the general week or
.wo after his arrival at the Hoofd Lager.
accompanied only by two or three little
Kafiir maids.
Finding Gen. Joubert in an anything
out comfortable tent, she routed him
,ut, erected tent of her own, and in
stalled him amid all the comforts Of
,ome. What was more, she recon
,tructed the generals mess arrange
nents 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
aews came into camp that the general
aad been taken i'll 30 miles away, in the
midst Of q country full of hostile ma
ives and deadly with malaria. Without
hesitation, Mrs. Joubert made prepara-
ions to go and join her husband, and
here is little doubt that she would have
accomplished her purpose had not more
eassuring news come to hand.
The war came to an early close owing
o the military genius of Gen. Joubert,
ind, 1t is not too much to say, his bet
er half. The plans of the campaign
rom the time Mrs. Joubert arrived till
she camp was struck were talked over
1t her dinner table, her sound advice
ind almost unequaled knowledge Of
Eaffir warfare being held in high es-
.eem.
Although such warrior, Mrs. Jou-
bert is true woman. There is moth
ng masculine about either her appear
ance or manner. Unlike most Dutch
Afrikander women, she is slim, espe-
.ially when compared with the robust
proportions of Gen. Piet Joubert. Won
lerfully active, for her 60 years, and
over, she can accomplish as much hard
work in an hour as town-bred women
would in week.
Needless to say, she is immensely pop
ular among the burghers. To the sick
she is ever ready to lend assis .ance, and
many dying man has blessed her min
istrations. When not on the warpath,
Mrs. Joubert is singularly retiring.
Many Pretorians have never seen her,
although she lives in their midst, in
the town house of the general, of Mar
ket street. Her preference, however,
is for the quiet of the farm, where she
loves to remain until called forth to the
battles of her country by wifely affec-
tion.-Cbicago Times-Herald.
The Eclipse of 1900.
The eclipse committee, with Mr..
o1,