Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-19

lsn Ieii 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
Plet Joubert and his Boer rincmen,
who outgeneraled and outfought them,
and the scattering was all on their own
side.
Wise old Gladstone saw after Maju-
ha Hill that 1t would cost England
more to conquer the Beers than al! 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 1t comes to
the supreme cllnch, all depends upon
the man behind the gun, but the man
behind the army regulates the ciluch;
hence 1t 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.
Buff Joubert was 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 balked
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 1t was something akin
to it which Joubert displayed when he
beat the British and won Boer indie
pcndenca In 1881. 1t was a rapid. hus.
ting campaign Of but few weeks, Lut
the British lost at every point. There
were good chances FOR laundering. but
only the English took advantage OF
them. They blundered everywhere.
Joube!t made no mistakes.
In the very first engagement, Bronx
horst Sprut. the British, numbering
2Gl trained men from the garrison,
were met In the open by an equal num-
bcr 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 tho rest captured. 1t was
a PLATA cnse of annihilstlng an armed
force.
The strategy for the Beers In 1881
consisted IN cutting off or isolating the
British garrlsons IN the Transvaal and
keeping the outside troops beyond the
border. Both ends were accomplished
with marvelously little loss to tho
Beers. AS In 1890 so In 1881 General
Joubert looked first to the occupation
of Laingsnek. a tableland across which
runs the road from Natal Into the
Transvanl. General Sir Gees .,r Col.
ley was advancing from Natal to tho
Mex with 1000 British troops, The
road at that point passes between
Majuba Hill and another height 1000
feet from Majuba. Jouberts men were
posted upon both hills and General
Colley advanced to the attack in broad
daylight. He struck at Joubert's left,
on the secondary height. thinking that
IL he carried IL he would command the
pass. Two detachments were assigned
to the work, one to attack the height
and the other ridge continuing from
IL.
The British general supposed that
tho dnuhln attack yvoull 1iyiIp tla