Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1900 — BOTHA SUCCEEDS JOUBERT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BOTHA SUCCEEDS JOUBERT.

New Commander of the Boers Is a Good Soldier. Gen. Louis Botha, the ablest by far of the Boer generals, is the new com-mander-in-ehief Of the Boer army, succeeding the late Gen. Joubert. Botha is a brilliant whiter and an able strategist. He was at Swartkop and Spion kop when Buller crossed the Tugela. He was in front of Ladysmith and Botha was fighting with a cunning which the conservative correspondents present say was unsurpassable. He covered the zone

of tire in front of his lines with English dead and wounded, and he brought off his gnus and men every time a retreat or change of base was necessary. There are many other able soldiers among the Boers. Commandant Olivier performed a brilliant feat in landing his army of 5,000 men and a wagon train, twenty-five miles long, between the British lines and the Basutoland border, without losing a gun, a wagon or a man, although the British cavalry was scouting all over in an endeavor to reach his fines and cut off his retreat. That was strategy of a high order and military critics regard the,retreat as one of the most masterly oai record. Tom Kelly is another strong commander. He ranks among the first, although little heard of yet. He is in charge of the ZoutpanslH-rg department, nud has 20.000 Kaffirs under him. He ia a rampant Boer agitator and as fond of fighting as a Matabele warrior. Then there are Gens. Hmet, BchaikBurger. Helarey. Franc Joubert, son of the dead commander-iu-chief, Henning Prctoriua, Meyer and a host of others, all it whom have already distinguished themselves. Beaidea there are many French, Rnatdan and (lennan officers, who are able strategists and artillerists.

OKX. LOVIS BOTHA.