Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-08
THE MAN AND SOLDIER
General Joubert Heroic Figure in
History Of South Africa.
His Humanity TO His Enemies-The Hero
of NTnjubn Hill-His Great Ability ms an
Organizer Krugers Rival.

With the death of General Piet j..
Joubert the Boers have lost their two
ranking military commanders. Gen
eral Cronies capture deprived them Of
the second in command.
The loss of these two men and the re-
cent brilliant retreat of Commandant
Olivier in the Orange Free State call
attention anew TO the strong infusion
of French Huguenot blood In the Beers
Jubert, Cronje and Olivier all sprang
from Huguenot ancestry. but the strain
was mixed strongly with Dutch blood.
Even his enemies had nothing to say
against Joubert. He was above hate.
The clash of combat did not lead him
to forget that he was u man with q
duty to other men. War was with him
last rcsort-a question of honor and
principle. TO fight for his country he
conceived to be his highest duty. but he
was constantly deploring the sad scenes
around him, for which he held small
ring of IInglishmen in London and
South Africa responsible.
HUMANE TO HIS ENEMIES.
Instances of his humanity were con-
6luHlly ClODPiu6 Jul. W SfShNi -
Sir william Penn Symonds fell, wound
ed and prisoner. into the hands OF
Beers in Natal and died a captive. Jou-
bert sent IL touching and tender mes
sage of coincidence to his widow. ON
another occasion Major Devotion, n gal
liant British officer. was dying in Lady
smith while the siege was in progress.
His wife arrived from Durham and ap-
piled for permission to see him. Jou-
bert not only granted her request, but
gave her an escort through the lines at
once.
commander at Ladysmith. who en-
durcd the horrors of the siege with
Joubert's Gordon around him, declared
in recent speech at Cape Town that
"Joubert was a soldier and gentle
man. a brave and honorable opponent"
Joubert was 6S years old at the time
of his death, and the hardShips of the
recent campaign told heavily upon him.
Last November it was reported that
he was dead, but it turned out later
that he was only sick. He had Sc
we're attack OF fever and when he re-
covered had to ride in a carriage in
stead of on horse in attending to his
military duties.
Recently ii was reported from British
sources that the Beers had lost conf
dence in JOubcrt on account OF their
reverses. This has not yet been con-
ports were based may form an inter-
esting future chapter of the wars his
tory.
The work Of Joubert's life was to free
his country from British domination
and to keep it free. The bold spirit of
independence which blaZed within him
and ltindlcd a sympathetic flame in the
hearts of the burghers of the South Af-
rlcan Republic is indicated III an inter-
view he gave to an English correspon-
dent two years ago:
Have mot you English always fol-
lowed on our heels" he said; mot on us
here only. but al! over the world-al-
ways conquering, always getting more
land? We were independent when you
came here. we are independent now,
and you shall never take our indepen-
dence from us. The whole people will
fight. You may shed blood all over
Sout hAfrica. but it will only be over
our dead bodies that you will seize our
independence. Every Dutchman in
South Africa. but it will only be over
Even the women will fight. You may
take away our lives, but our indepen-
dence-never.
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
In personal appearance Joubert was
stout. He had a long, grizzled beard a
pair of great black eyes under cavern
Gus brows, sturdy frame and an air
of mildneSS wholly incompatible with
his reputation as Il great fighter. 1t
took a second glance to see in the soft
eyes the resolution and absolute fear
lessness of their owner.
Like President Kruger, he was born
I'm Cape Colony. He was bred on a
farm and began life as farmer. But
this innate ability soon lifted him into
nublio life. He became State Attorney
to the South African Republic and aft
erward ice-President, and in 1898
came within ISL votes of winning this
honor from Kruger himself
In the late seventies. during the
troubles with England that eliminated
in the war under the memory of which
England has smarted ever since. Jou-
bert became an extremely prominent
figure in Transvaal affairs. He accom-
panied Kruger on the latter's memora-
BILE visit to England, when the demand
for the independence of the republic
was formulated. This demand was
finally refused, and on December 30,
1880. Kruger. Joubert and Pretorus
formed themselves into the triumvirate