In June, the second piece of evidence comes from E. Bosh, who writes that a few days after Lenin’s letter, 50 Communist workers arrived from Petrograd, along with 35 party workers from Moscow and elsewhere (*Proletarskaya Revolyutsiya*, No. 3 (26), 1924, p. 169).  

Lenin received E. Bosh’s letter around August 14, and these notes were most likely written on August 17.  

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**2355**  
**TELEGRAM TO A. E. MINKIN ABOUT THE EXPEDITION**  
**August 16, 1918**  

*To the Penza Gubernia Executive Committee, Minkin.*  

**Dispatch the expedition immediately.**  

**Lenin.**  

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**2356***  
**DIRECT WIRE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN V. I. LENIN AND A. E. MINKIN**  
**AUGUST 10, 1918**  

**1.**  
**NOTE TO MINKIN**  

*To Minkin.*  

I have just read your memorandum. I reiterate the order for the Latvian expeditionary forces to remain in Penza for now, pending further instructions.  

Select the most reliable from your eight hundred soldiers and act ruthlessly, starting with one volost [administrative district], and see it through to completion. Send a precise report on Chechbary. Until now, you clearly faced not only a shortage of forces but also a lack of energy, since you could have suppressed the uprising in five volosts. This means you could have at least finished one. If more forces are needed, we will send them. Telegraph in more detail and accuracy where your forces are deployed, where they are engaged, and what kind of support is required.  

**Lenin.**  

**2.**  
**MINKIN'S NOTE**  

Please kindly relay the following to Ilich [Lenin]:  

*"By telegram dated 19/VIII, People’s Commissar of Finance of the Northern Region, Comrade Potyaev, instructed expedition head Pet to halt the unloading of the train. Work has been suspended. Please inform whether his order—which cancels your directive of the 16th under No. 683—is to be executed. Awaiting your reply.*  

**A. Minkin.**  

*It is likely that this refers to Lenin’s telegram of August 16, though the original dispatch number is missing (see p. 207).*