Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-07
CHARACTERISTICS
OF GENERAL De WET.
The Many Sided Commandant
General of the Beers.
LIKE A FIGURE OUT OF FICTION.

The Meanest Looking Burgher In His
Army Surpasses the Great Leader
In Appearance-His Only Badge of
Authority a Black Cocks Feather.
Regarded by His Followers n
Great Humorist-Hau Fellow Well
| Met With His Men Except When
There's Business on Hand.
| Howard c. Hillegas, author of ''The
Beers In War; has the following in
teresting story about General De Wet
in The Worlds Work for March:
i Like Yankee Doodle in the old colo
NAL ballad, Christian De Wet, the COM
mandant general of the forces of the
| Orange Free State, wears feather In
his cap. 1t is a black cocks feather,
and it was placed there by himself at
the beginning of the war as sort OF
martial ornament. Now 1t is the badge
by which his burghers distinguish him
| from their fellow Beers. Figuratively
he wears another feather, one accorded
| to him and his genius by those against
| whom he is fighting. He is the one
| general, Boer or British, who is re-
ceiving the praise of foe and friend,
and the encomiums of his enemy are
not the lesser in fervor or volume.
The meager dispatches which come
to us from South Africa give but little
| insight into the character of the man
whose name is daily associated with
all the great events now occurring In
that country. To the majority of people
the name De Wet is suggestive of the
QuiNotic. He appears to us in the
| light of character in fiction rather
than as a man of present action. His
work is so remarkable that we can
hardly credit it to this age.
Since the beginning of the war al
most every British general and soldier
in South Africa has at one time or an
other been bent upon the capture Of
this one man. A half score of times
the ending of the pursuit has been
clearly defined. yet invariably he has
escaped from the encircling cordons of
men and guns. He has outfought, out
witted and outgeneraled his opponents
at every turn. He has done even more
than escape from his pursuers. He
has made more than 5000 prisoners OF
war; he has destroyed many millions
lions, he and his small army of 10000
men have subsisted for more than six
months exclusively on the food and
ammunition taken in battle, and, more
than all, he has rejuvenated Il cause
that seemed to be lost beyond reclaim
when Pretoria fell into British hands.
In personal appearance General De
Wet is easily surpassed by every
burgher in his commands. In search
ing for the commander in chief of the
forces one would choose every one
else first He is not as tall as the
average Boer, and he is much less
handsome. Usually his clothing is as
ragged as that of the poorest burgher,
and when he is astride his favorite
horse the commandant general is an
object of pity rather than of admira-
ton. This is the result of his habit
of exchanging articles of clothing with
those of his men who appeal TO him
for new outfits. 1t is one of his ways
of retaining the affection of his men,
and it is only by ties of affection that
they are bound to him. Several of
the Boer officers wear distinctive uni
forms, with little gilt stars on the
coat collars to indicate. their rank. De
Vets black feather is his only badge
of authority.
General De Wet is a many sided
man. Although he has a most gentle
disposition, he frequently displays q
violent temper. He is the intimate
friend of all the men in his COM
mandos, yet when there is a duty for
them to perform he is cuttingly stern
=
a wide gulf between them. For many
years before the war he was the most
bitter Anglophobe in the Free State
Rad. Now as soon as a British sol
der falls into his hands he will insist
that the prisoner have the best treat
ment that it is possible to give him.
While forming the plans for battle
or movement he discusses the subject
thoroughly with anybody and every
body, but as soon as he commences to
carry the plan into effect he becomes
dumb and refuses to disclose his pur-
pose even to his most trusted lieuten-
ants. Although he relishes victory
as keenly as any one, he will not allow
one of his burghers to cheer or display
other signs of joy after battle is won.
in the tactics of war, he is
a master tactician; born outside the
breastworks of civilization, he is noble
in manner and department; a bitter
enemy of the British, yet he is a
stanch admirer of their capable men.
De Wet is rough, honest and fearless,
u devoted friend and a vengeful enc
my. He is a marvellous anachronism
as a warrior.
The most marked characteristics of
the commandant general are his i'm
perturbability under adverse condi-
tons, his Jealous devotion to official
work, his effervescent humor, his kind
ness to the burghers and prisoners, his
great regard for the opinions of the
enemy and his unbounded, inextin-
guishable faith in the ultimate success
of his and his country's cause. AL