Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-04-05
LONDON EULOGIZES THE LATE
GENERAL JOUBERT.
KRUGER TAKES COMMAND
Boer General Dies Of Peritonitis After
Brief Illness-A Remarkable
Observation-Disclosures March on Pre-
toria May Not Be Begun Until May
Progress of Operations.

DOer forces, d1ed OF perltonlIlS WeuneS-
day after brief illness, and President
Kruger has assumed the chief COM
mand of the boer armies.
Gen. Pietrus Jacobus Joubert was
born about sixty-eight 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, but was taken
by his parents. when years old, to
the Orange Free State. He is de-
scribed as having been utterly fear
less.
He was self-educated. In conse-
quence 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. 1t was claimed in his
behalf, that he could lead a body of
men more successfully against hostile
| natives than any other man in the
Transvaal. He came to be so feared
by the natives that the knowledge that
he was at the head of the punitive ex-
petition usually resulted in their sur
render.
1t was during these wars with the
natives that Joubert became acquaint-
ed with Paul Kruger, and the two men
became bosom friends. He was elect
| ed vice president of the Transvaal in
| 1896, defeated Sir George Colley at Ma
| juba Hill in 1881, and acted as presi-
dent of the republic in 1SS3-S4, during
! Kruger's absence in Europe. Gen.
Joubert was always in favor of the
use of force instead of diplomacy, and
President Kruger on several occasions
| had great difficulty in depressing his
| hot-headed colleague, notably in 1879,
when Joubert, with Kruger and Pre-
| torius, was planning the rebellion to
overthrow the British rule in the
| Transvaal The result was Majuba
Hill and the practical independence
Of the Transvaal.
| Kruger Takes Command.
Brussels, March pa private dis
patch from Pretoria says President
Kruger has taken chief command of
the Transvaal forces.
Advance May Be Long DELAYED.
| London, March 29-General French,
who arrived at Bloemfontein from
Thaba Nchu, says Commandant Olivier
has 5000 men and is north of Landy-
brand. Immense quantities of stores
have now been accumulated at Bloem-
fOntein and Lord Roberts infantry is
seemingly about to move. The i'm
preston, which can be traced to the
war office, is abroad that the advance
will begin next Monday. Boer obser-
walton parties are lowering near
Bloemfontein, but Gen. Roberts has
135 miles to cover before reaching the
great position which the beers are pre-
pairing at Kroonstad. Moving ten
miles a day is probably the best he can
do with field transport Therefore
he can hardly engage the beers in
force for two weeks. The reconstruc-
ton Of the railway behind him may
even delay the invasion of the Trans
vaal until May Meanwhile all i'm
portant towns in the Free State within
Roberts reach are being garrisoned.
| Thaba Nchu, Philippolis, Fauresmith
and Jagersfontein are thus held. Sir
Alfred Miner is touring indisturbed
the newIy-acquired territory investi-
eating conditions and arranging the
administration. He is understood to
be getting materials for a report 70
Chamberlain concerning plan of civil
! government. All morning papers
print sngularly kind editorials con-
| corning General Joubert. They praise
! his military skill and uphold his chiy-
! alrous conduct. Although some
younger commanders thought the old
soldier wanting in dash and enter
prise, his raid into the country south
of the Tugela is considered the best
piece of boer leadership during the
whole war. 1t is now known he
! crossed the Tugela with only 5000
! rifiemen and six guns, but so bold and
| rapid were his movements that the
| British commanders thought 10000
| beers were marching on Pietermaritz-
| burg. For a few days, although in the
| presence of greatly superior set of
| forces, he isolated General Hildyard's
| brigade at Estcourt, and al the same
| time threatened General Barton's
camp at Moot river. Then as the
! British reinforcements pushed up
Joubert re-crossed the Tugela without
losing a prisoner, wagon or gun.
| General Whites estimate of him, pro-
nounced Tuesday before he died, as
gentleman and brave and honorable
opponent strikes the tone Of all British
comment. The foreign Office, accord
ing to the Daily Chronicle, is arrang-
ing with Portugal for some thousand
British troops to be landed at Beira,
and sent by the Rhodesia railway
from Massi-Kesso to Umtali
State Funeral for Joubert.
London, March 29.-The Daily
Nails correspondent writes: General
Joubert died Of peritonitis. The fu-
neral will take place today Thursday.
The government is pleading with the
widow to allow the temporary inter-
ment here with a state funeral. Gen.
Joubert always expressed a desire to
be buried in the mausoleum built on
his farm. His successor in chief COM
mand will probably be Gen. Louis
Botha, now commanding in Natal"
The Pietermaritzburg correspondent
says: British scouts have thorough
ly reconnoitered the passes OF ORA
kensberg range. The number of beers
holding them does not axnoo6 . nnn