The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-15

&M N& l Ma5ub "a Hill lii
tsh fell down in 1881, were not military
accidents, as the defeated side would
have the world believe The English
troops went into it then expecting to
scatter a rabble. They met General
Pet Joubert and his Boer rifemen,
who outgeneraled and outfought them,
and the scattering was all on their own
side.
Wise old Gladstone saw after Maui
ba Hill that it would cost England
more to conquer the Beers than all the
tax revenue from the Transvaal would
amount to in 100 years, so he called off
the army and spared England the i'm
pending shame of defeat and an ap-
palling death roll. When it comes to
the supreme clinch, all depends upon
the man behind the gun, but the man
behind the army regulates the clinch;
hence it is of first Importance to have
general. Later biographies of Gen
eral Joubert, the directing mind of the
South African force in the remarkable
first blows at Britain's power, call him
an American. 1t is said that he served
under Dupont early in the civil war
and afterward commanded company
Of colored troops.
But If Joubert was q civilian general
to begin with that is no reason why
great things should not be looked for
in campaigns directed by him. One
of the cleverest strategists' as well as
hardest fighters of the Confederate
army was the civilian Forrest. With
seldom more than 5000 men he baked
Federal armies and ruined campaigns.
Joubert need do no more than that
against the British and still show
genius and perhaps win the day with
out great battle.
Names are immaterial, and If it was
not generalship it was something akin
to it which Joubert displayed when he
beat the British and won Boer indie
pendence in 1881. 1t was a rapid, hus-
Ting campaign Of but few weeks, but
the British lost at every point There
were good chances for laundering, but
only the English took advantage of
them. They blundered everywhere.
Joubert made no mistakes.
| In the very first engagement, Bronx
horst Spruit, the British, numbering
| 264 trained men from the garrison,
were met in the open by an equal num-
Der of Beers, who disputed their march
toward Pretoria. Considering the
length Of the engagement, an appall-
ing number of British were killed and
wounded and the rest captured It was
plain case Of annihilating an armed
force.
The strategy for the Beers in 1881
consisted in cutting of or isolating the
British garrisons in the Transvaal and
keeping the outside troops beyond the
border. Both ends were accomplished
with marvelously little loss to the
Beers. AS in 1899 so in 1881 General
Joubert looked first to the occupation
of Laingsnek, tableland across which
runs the road from Natal into the
TransvaaL General Sir George Col.
ley was advancing from Natal to the
Mex with 1000 British troops. The
road at that point passes between
Majuba Hill and another height 1900
feet from Majuba. Joubert's men were
posted upon both hills, and General
Cooley advanced to the attack in broad
daylight. He struck at Joubert's left
on the secondary height, thinking that
II he carried it he would command the
pass. Two detachments were assigned
to the work, one to attack the height
and the other ridge continuing from
it.
The British general supposed that
Beers and that his columns could keep
In touch and win an easy victory. But
this was what happened: Joubert
smashed the column, consisting of cav.
airy, which attacked the height, in q
twinkling, hurting it back in panic
upon the infantry which was to make
the supporting attack on the ridge
The Beers were not hurt at all and con.
centrated their fire upon the British
infantry, which marched up the slope
In gallant order. The British gained
the crest, where, exhausted by their
climb, they were charged by the fresh
Beers and driven down the hill at the
point Of the bayonet.
Il There was ample room at Laings
mex for green general to blunder
Had the Beers rushed after the retreat
ing cavalry, following up to the firm
lines of infantry, there would have
been a stand up fight In the open, IL
= which failure on the mart If tho Roors