Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-06
BOERS.
Continued from first page.)


he has visited and not one, except
Mrs. Joubert, has been without her
rife and bandolier filed with cart
ridges.
| At Spion's kop buttle, fourteen wo-
men with their husbands held trench
against the British. When the men
went out and fought the British hand
to hand and We're killed, the women
held the trench for half an hour until
not one was left alive. A bride and
bridegroom went on their honeymoon
to the Ladysmith trenches and fought
side by side against the invaders.
The American correspondent in his
story from Pretoria, published today,
says:
"Thc British have opposed to them
the bravest AmaZons that ever the sun
shone on. At least 1000 Boer women
are now with the troops Investing La,
dysmith. These women are not nurses
nor cooks--save when necessity de-
mands-nor camp followers. They arc
female soldiers, as brave as their faith
ers and husbands and brothers"
The Boer troops that invested La
ldysmith are now opposing Lord Rob
erts Mt Bloemfontein. The womer
are doubtless with the Beers.
The World knows no finer example
of heroism than that exhibited by Il
women on one of the five days fight
ing around Spion's kop, the SECOND
Majuba. A strictly family party OF
Beers, Il men and their wives, were
inerenched in one position and held il
with amazing bravery against small
force of British. For long time the
men fought necessarily and kept theil
wives busy reloading their rifles.
Finally fifty British soldiers, with
fixed bayonets, charged on the in
trenchment. AS they came closer
closer, the Boer men crept over the
earthworks and while the women be-
gan shooting, tried with the butts OF
their rifles to hammer back the Brit
ish. Before their wives eyes, every
one of the ii Beers were killed-bay
onetted or shot.
/ The II women, so quickly widowed
never thought of surrendering, but
fought most valiantly and cody fol
half an hour. The British surround
ed them: not one of the IA survived
to mour her husband.
Two days later when the British
forces retired across the Tugela, =
corpses, IA men, ii women, were
found within radius of 100 feet
New there is big long mound where
rests the bodies of as brave bane
as ever fought for freedom.
Scores of women have been in every
commandos laager l have visited, ant
only one has been without her rifle
: and bandoliers Mrs. Joubert, wife OF
the commandant general of the Trans
ynnl forces. But their bravery does
not rob these women of any womanl!
Iuualitles-love, tenderness, gentleness
pity.
Not far from the Pretoria laager
found young Boer woman under
the canopy of one of the big trekking
wagons. Her tears We're falling sc
copiously that they moistened hel
dress waist. She was about 10 years
old, comely, fairly we'll dressed. 1t !:
nothing strange to see Boer woman
weeping; there is not one but has los
a father or brother or many relatives
i'm the war. But this ones grief was
so extreme that | stopped, and fount
she spoke English exceptionally well
She told me her sister had been killed
by British sharpshooters the day be
fore.
"She was my twin sister and W.
never passed day apart" she sale
between her sobs. 1T breaks my hear,
to think that she lies over there under
the ground
She pointed to a mound of fresl
earth, with line of stones around ant
over it, a short distance away. She
told me, too, her father, five brothers
and innumerable relatives were fight
ing.
s'Ouch," she exclaimed, as her arm
suddenly twitched. Then saw q
small hole In the right sleeve OF hel
dress lust above the elbow.
Have you been woundedT l ask
ed
''Oh, yes" she. replied, rather Ian
guidly. "A bullet grazed me: and oc
casionally it pains me very much.'
! Theu this girl of ID years explained