The agreement, as amended by his Majesty's Government in your telegram of May 27, was signed just before 11 P.M. last night by Lord Kitchener and myself and ten Boer delegates, six representing the Transvaal and four Orange Free State. A resolution of Burgher assembly at Vereeniging authorising them to sign was put in by them before signing it. Names of signatories are the same as those in original draft sent in Lord Kitchener's telegram, except that the initials had been corrected in some cases and Mr. Steyn's name was omitted. He was too ill to come up, and had already taken his parole. The order of signatories is chiefly the same, except that De Wet signed first of the Orange River Colony delegates, Hertzog next, and then Brebner, the reason being that De Wet was nominated "Acting President" by Steyn on retiring. * * * * * OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE AFTER THE BATTLE OF COLENSO, DECEMBER 15, 1899 Since the conduct of General Sir Redvers Buller in regard to the Relief of Ladysmith has been much discussed, it seems necessary for the sake of the completeness of this Record of the War to reproduce, without comment, the Official Correspondence which followed the defeat at Colenso. General Buller himself forwarded the Despatches to the Press Association, accompanied by the following letter:-- "17 LOWDNES SQUARE, W., _July 7, 1902_. "I send you the enclosed document in the exact form in which it has been supplied to me by the Secretary of State for War for publication, and I shall be much obliged if you will kindly circulate it to all newspapers, together with this letter, as I wish to supplement the document by the remark that I was delighted to receive the answer of the Secretary of State for War of the 16th December 1899, because it assured me that forces which I had been apprehensive were pledged in another and less important direction would be at my disposal for operations in Natal. Thanking you in anticipation, I am, sir, yours faithfully, "REDVERS BULLER, _General_." FROM SIR R. BULLER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR. "CHIEVELEY CAMP, _December 15, 1899_.