West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-04-19

w o N E N
Who Are Fighting In The Boer
Army.
A thousand or Them At The Front
They Make As Good soldiers As
the Men.
rom special War Correspondent


heroism than was exhibited by fourteen
women on one of the five days fighting
around Spion Kop, the second Majuba. A
strictly family party of Bocrs. fourteen men
and their wives, were intrcnched In one posi-
'ion and held il with amazing bravery agains,
small force of British. For long time
the men fought incessantly and kept their
wives busy reloading their rifles.
Finally fifty British soldiers, with fixed
bayone,s, charged ON the entrenehment.
AS they came closer. closer the Boer men
crept over the earthworks and while the
women began shooting, tried with the butts
OF their rifles to hammer hack the British
Before their wives eyes every one of the
fourteen Beers were killed-bayonet,ed or
shot.
The fourteen women so quickly widowed
never thought of surrender but fought mos,
valian,ly and eoolly for half an hour. The
British surrounded them; not one of the
fourteen survived To mourn her husband.
Two days later when the British forces re.
tired across the Tugela twenty-eight corpses,
fourteen men, fourteen women, were found
within radius of 100 feet. Now there is n
big long mound where rest the bodies of as
brave band as ever fought for freedom.
Scores of women have been in every COM
mando's lager have visited, and only one
has been without her rifle and bandoliers--
Mrs. Jouber,, wife OF the Commaudant
General of the Transyaal forces. But their
bravery does not rob these women of any
womanly qualities love, tenderness, gentle.
ness, pity.
Not far from the Pretoria laager found
young Boer Woman under the canopy of
one of the big irekking wagons. Her tears
were falling so copiously that they moistened
her dreSs waist She was about nineteen
years old, comely and fairly we'll dressed.
IL IS nothing strange To see Boer woman
weeping; there is not one but has lost faith
er or brother or many relatives in the war.
But this ones grief was so extreme that |
stopped, and found she spoke English ex.
ceptionally we'll. She told me her sister had
been killed by sharp shooter the day be-
fore
''She was my twin sister, and we never
have passed n day apart, +" she said, between
her sobs. at breaks my heart to think
that she lies over there under the ground >
She pointed TO mound of fresh Garth. with
line of stones around and over II, short
distance away
She told me, too, her father, five brothers
and innumerable relatives were fighting.
"Ouch ~ she exclaimed as her arm sud.
denly twi,ched. Then saw small hole in
the right sleeve just above the elbow.
''iiave you been wounded 2'' asked.
"Oh, yes, she replied, rather languidly.
"a bullet graled me, and occasionally It
pains me very much"
Then this gil Of nineteen years explained,
rather apologetically, that her father com.
PEELED her to remain in the wagon until the
Mound was healed.
"if il were not for him." she said, al
shouldn't be here crying. I'd be down in
yonder trench, where ought to be-"
Fry TO imagine bride and groom going
to war on their honeymoon. Yet have
seen them do so. When / left Pretoria for
the front friend introduced me to young
Boer coupl, who were going on the same
train. thought my friend was Joking
when he said they we're going to fight the
British, although Bocr man and wife had
Mauser rifles, and each wore three bando-
liers, two over the shoulders, one around the
waist.
Remember that the Boer woman inhcrits
bravery from her grandmother; that hand
ful Of women helped to repel the hordes Of
Zulus fifty years ago. Besides, the presence
OF the women in the laagers prevents the
men from becoming homesick.
The men suffer extremely from homesick
ness when the women are absent, for in
they are rarely separated more than few
hours. Even when the men 90 trekking
their wives go with them.
All but one Of the women whom I have
seen wore black or brown dresses. One
was in mans apparel, but the Beers tell me
the women often put on their husbands
clothing when their own becomes worn.
In the early days Of the campaign the
British captured three Boer women in mems
clothing, and they are still held as prisoners
Of war on the warships az Simonstown, near
Cape Town, but they have been supplied
with proper clothing.
Mrs. Joubert, the only woman at the
front without rife, uses her brains TO de.
tea, the enemy. Since the war began she
has been with her husband, and Gen. lou.
bert has told me himself she has been Of the
greatest assistance to him, having often sug.
gcsted strategic moves that resulted Ia losses
TO the British
Mrs. Joubert calls herself 1.-THE woman.of-
all-work," and that is the only title that
describes her. She does almost everything
from milking the cows which furnish the
Generals only drink 10 bandaging wounded
soldiers She is constantly moving about
the Lager attending 10 the comfort Of those
who surround her husband As soon as
there is battle she becomes excited and
hufries behind a rock, where she can safely
watch the progress Of the fight.
Whether they fought or not, whether they
cured homesickness OF not, IL would be hard
70 keep these warrior women from the front.
They we're the first 10 insist that the Trans.
vaal should resist England; now they are
sharing ne bufden and expect 10 share the
glory.
fof every bocr, mau Or woman, old or
young hfmly believe that the republics will
Ultimately triumph The relief Of Kimberlg
aod thar Of Ladysmith are regarded not as
defeats but rather as victories. inasmuch as
the boef fwccs, which have been lying ell.
most 'dle around those cities, can nov be