The true northerner., 1900-04-04
sketch of Joubert's Lire.


Gen. Pietrus Jacobus Joubert command
ant general of the Transvaal forces, bet
ter known as Piet Joubert, or "Slien Piet
(Slim Peter), was born about 6S years ago.
He was descended from an old French
Huguenot family which settled in South
Africa many years ago. He was born in
Cape Colony, bat was taken by his par
ents, when seven years Old, to the Or
ange Free state, where ne was taught from
early childhood 10 shoot straight and hate
the British.
In consequence of the acquisition OF
Natal by the British mis- FAMILY moved from
Natal and settled in the Iransvaal. Soon
afterwards he became Durgher or the
South African republic and daring night
er. 1t was claimed. in his benalf, that he
could lead body of men more successfully
against hostile natives than any other
man i'm the Transvaal. lie came to be
so feared by the natives that the know-
edge tnat he was at the head OF punt
tive e-pedition usually resulted in their
surrender.
1t was during these wars with the ma
tives that JouDert became acquainted with
Paul Kruger, and the two men became
bosom friends. lie was elected vice presi-
dent of the sTransvaal in 1896, defeated Sir
George Colley at Majuba hill in 1881 and
acted as president of the republic in 1885,
S4 during kruger's absence in Europe.
1t was Joubert who organized the army
or the South African republic, later on
dividing the country into IL military de-
partments. and each of these departments
into smaller divisions with commandants,
field cornets and lieutenants of various
ranks in charge.
According TO the generals plans, every
man became a trained soldier without leav-
ing his farm, and had his equipment ready
at hand. To such a point OF perfection
was the system carried that within As
hours after the present war was declared
British Lose Many.
London. March 31.-The head of the
army of Lord Roberts is now about
81 miles north of Bloemfontein. 1t
couples cluster of hills won from the
Beers after a stiff fight, in which the
British lost seven officers and 100 men.
Jouberfs Funeral.
Pretoria, March 20. - The funeral
of Gen. Joubert took place Thursday
afternoon and was attended by all
classes. The foreign military attaches,
in uniform, were among those present
and the British officers who are prison
ers here sent a wreath. There were
universal signs of mourning.
warned by Kruger.
London, March 31.-The Bloemfon-
tein correspondent of the Daily Chron-
icle, telegraphing Thursday, March
20, says: President Kruger's latest
proclamation warns the women and
children to leave Bloemfontein with
in five days, as he intends to lombard
and destroy the city, and to shoot the
burghers whom ne captures there.
Queen sends sympathy.
London. March 81. Queen Victoria
has cabled to Lord Roberts asking him
to convey to Mrs. Joubert, widow of
Gen. Joubert, her sympathy at the loss
of her husband, and TO tell her that the
British people alway regarded the dead
general as gallant soldier and an hon
orable foeman.
Trapped by Beers.
London, April 2.-Advices received in
this city say that six guns and Brit
ish convoy returning from Thaba Nchu
to Bloemfontein were ambushed and
captured by Beers. The loss of life
was not great, since most of the Brit
fish had walked into the trap before n
shot was fired. Gen. Louis Botha has
been appointed to- succeed Gen. Jou-
bert as commander in chief of the
Transvaal forces.