Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-03-29
Military Idol of the Beers Dies
of Stomach Trouble at
Pret tolia.
In Consequence There Is Deep
Sorrow Throughout the
Transvaal.
Military Commander Of. Great
Ability and q Halter Of
British.

The town is plunged into mourning
for the true patriot, gallant general,
and uprigh ht and honorable gentleman.
" PRETORIA, Monday, March &c. Gen-
eral Joubert is confined to his bed and
is seriously ill. 81
{: LouRENzo MARQUES, Wednesday,
March 28. General Joubert is dead.
83 General Pietrus Jacobus Jonbert,
commandant general Of the Transvaal
force, better known as Piet Joubert, or
s"sSlien Piet" (Slim Peter), was born
about So years ago. He was descended
from an old French Huguenot family
which settled IN South Africa many
years ago. He was born in Cape Col
ony, but was taken by his parents when
z years sold, to the Orange Free State,
where he was taught from early child
hood to shoot straight and hate the
British. i .'.5 u a, s# #s
He is described as having been utterly
fearless. 5 & ~ ss5
Of schooling he had but little, and he
never saw a newspaper until he was 19
years old. n spite Of this, his ambition
prompted him to read the few books he
could obtain and he succeeded in obtain
ing q fair knowledge Of history and Ian
guages. is8
" IN consequence Of the acquisition Of
Natal by the British, his family moved
from Natal and settled in the Transvaal
Soon afterwards he became a burgher
of the South African Republic and a
daring fighter. IT; was claimed in his
behalf that he could lead d body Of men
more successfully against hostile ma
tives than any other man in the Trans
svaal He came to be SO feared by the
natives chat the knowledge that he was
st the head Of a punitive expedition
usually resulted in their surrender. s..
It was during these wars with the
natives that Joubert became acquainted
with Paul Kruger and the two men be-
came bosom friends He was elected
vice president Of the Transvaal in 1876,
defeated Sir George Colley at Majuba
hill in 1881 and acted as president Of
the republic in 18sS-s4, during Kruger's
absence in Europe. u 4.
Disdained All Diplomacy.
General Joubert was always IN favor
.of the use Of force instead Of diplomacy
and President Kruger on several occa-
sions had great difficulty in repressing
his hot headed colleague, notably in
1873 when Joubert with Kruger and
Pretorius was planning the rebellion to
overthrow British rule in the Iransvaal.
The result was Majuba Hill and the
practi cal ndepe Of the Transvaal.
It was Joubert who organized the
army Of the South African Republic,
later on, dividing the country into ~
military department and each Of these
departments into smale divisions, with
commandants, field cornets and ieuten-
ants Of various ranks in charge. 5
According to the generals plans,
every man became a trained soldier
without leaving his farm and had his
equipment ready at hand. To such q
point OF perfection was the system car.
ried that within 48 hours after the pres
ent war was declared, the Boer nation
was under arms.
0 It was also dne to General Joubert
that the South African republics suc-
ceeded ID alnassing the immense stores
Of war ammunition and provisions
which have stood them In such good
stead during the oonhict now in prog
ress. 5ss
When the Jameson raiders were
locked up in Pretoria jail, Joubert was
strongly ia favor % their immediate
execution. ii was not until Joubert
and Kruger had been c1oseted together
for q whole night that the more merci-
ful connsels of Kruger prevailed.
In spite Of these charac Jou-
bert on some occasions showed consid-
cradle regard for the usages of ciYiliza-
ton. When the Beers raided British.
territory, Bechuanaland, in 1884, Jou..
bert was the only prominent Boer who,
refused to support the movement, and
his opposition resulted in the with
drawal Of the Beers from the territory
seized, as he threa atened to resign unless.
he had his way, saying
s.sI positively refuse to- hold Office
nnder d government that Deliberately
breaks Its covenants. and we have made
covenants with Eng gland. !.
In Noyember last, it was reported that
General Joubert had been killed ia ac-
tion, and later reports said he was daii.i
gerously wounded and had to nse a carr;
inorder TO follow the operations ii tic
'fiald