Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-03-30
MOURN l|;| FOR PET
Military Idol of the Beers Dies
of Stomach Trouble at
Pretoria.
In Consequence There Is Deep
Sorrow Throughout the
Transvaal.
Military Commander of Great
Ability and a Halter Of !
British.


suffering from stomach complaint.
The town is plunged into mourning
for the true patriot, gallant general,
and upright and honorable gentleman.
PRETORIA, Monday, March 26.-Gen-
eral Joubert is confined to his bed and
is-seriously i'll.
.LoURENzo MARQUES, Wednesday,
March 28.-General Joubert is dead.
General Pietrus sJacobus Joubert,
commandant general Of the Transvaal
force, better 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 Col
ony, but was taken by his parents when
7years old, to the Orange Free State,
where he svas taught from early child.
hood to shoot straight and hate the
British.
He is described as having been utterly
fearless.
Of schooling he had but little, and he
never saw newspaper until he was 10
years old. In spite of this, his ambition
prompted him to read the few books he
could obtain and he succeeded in obtain
ing fair knowledge Of history and Ian.
guages.
In consequence Of the acquisition Of
Natal by the British, his family moved
from Natal and settled in the Transvaal
Soon afterwards he became burgher
of the South African Republic and a
daring fighter. It was claimed in his
behalf that he could lead body of men
more successfully against hostile ma
tives than any other man in the Trans
vaal. He came to be SO feared by the
natives that the knowledge that he was
ct the head of punitive expedition
usually resulted in their surrender.
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 1Ss3.s4, during Kruger s
absence in Europe.
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
1879, when Joubert with Kruger and
Pretorius was planning the rebellion to
overthrow British rule in the Transvaal.
The result was Majuba Hill and the
practical independence Of the Transvaal.
It was Joubert who organized the
army of the South African Republic,
later on, dividing the country into II
military departments, and each Of these
departments into smaller divisions, with
commandants, field cornets and ieuten-
ants of various ranks in charge.
According to the generals plans,
every man became trained soldier
without leaving his farm and had his
equipment ready at hand. To such a
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.
It was also due to General Joubert
that the South African republics sue
ceeded in amassing the immense stores
of war ammunition and provisions
which have stood them in such good
stead during the conflict now in prog.
ress.
When tho Jameson raiders were
locked up in Pretoria Jail, Joubert was
strongly in favor Of their Immediate
execution. It was not until Joubert
and Kruger, had been closeted together
for whole night that the more merci.
full counsels Of Kruger prevailed.
/ In spite Of these characteristics, Jou-
bert on some occasions showed consid.
cradle regard for the usages of civiliza-
tion. When the Beers raided British
territory, Beohuanaland, 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 threatened to resign unless
he had his way, saying:
II positively refuse. to hold Office
under government that deliberately
breaks its covenants, and we have made
covenants with England. .
In November last, it was reported that
General Joubert had been killed in ac-
tion, and later reports said he was dan
gerously wounded and had to use a cart