JOUBERT, PETRUS JACOBUS ( 1831-1900). A Boer general and politician. 11e was born in the Ondsthoorn district of Cape Colony, of Dutch Huguenot parents, his French ancestor, .Joubert, having emigrated to South Africa in 1687, to es cape religious persecution in France. After an elementary education and a youth spent in trailing expeditions throughout South Africa. Piet Joubert, as he was called, settled in the Wakkerstroom dis trict of the Smith African Republic and became a prosperous farmer and cattleman. In the early six ties he was elected a member of the Volksraad, and in 1870, having already had some experience in legal work. he was made Atto•ney-General of the Republic., and became prominent politically. From that time on lie was more or less the politi cal rival of Kruger (q.v.). in 1874 ,Toubert acted as President during the visit of President Burgers to Europe, and his political opportunism earned him the name of 'Slim (or crafty) Piet.' In 1880, on the outbreak of war with England, Jon bert became commandant-general of the forces and won the battles of Laing's Nek, Ingogo, and Majuba lfill (q.v.), the last of which closed the war in favor of the Boers in 1881. In 1883-84 he was acting President during Kruger's absence in Europe. and in the latter year he opposed
the plan of annexing Bechuanaland to the Trans Laier he favored a liberal policy toward the Citlanders in the country. He was defeated by only SOO votes iu the contest against Kruger for the Presidency in 1893, but this was the cul mination of his political greatness, for in 1898 Kruger had over 10,000 majority. Joubert was the ablest of the Boer military men, and to his efforts in great measure was due the fact that the Transvaal was prepared with arms and muni tions of war when the Republic declared war against Great Britain in October, 1899. As com mandant-general of the Boer forces, he began the campaign in Natal, and laid siege to the town of Ladysmith, showing remarkable generalship as long as he remained in the field. But early in 1900 his health broke down, and he was forced to retire to Pretoria. where he died March 27, 1900. Jonbert commanded the profound respect of his enemies for his ability and honor, but his liberal views on many points did not commend him to the mass of the Transvaal Boers, who pre ferred Kruger's conservatism.