Order to the First Army Group of the Red Army to Move Its Forces to the North and Concentrate Them in Qingjiang

(October 13, 1930, 1:00 P.M., at General Headquarters in Ji'an City)

1. The main force of our enemy in Jiangxi Province, the troops of Lu Diping, is located near Nanchang; the main force of Deng Ying's troops is in Zhangshu, and Dai Yue's troops are in Gaoan. Our Third Army Group is in the region of Qingjiang and Sanhu.

2. Our army group has the mission of attacking Nanchang and Linjiang, annihilating the enemy army of Lu Diping, seizing political power in the whole of Jiangxi Province, safeguarding the victory of the uprising in Wuhan to the left, and attacking Nanjing to the right, so as to promote a direct revolutionary [situation] in the whole country. We have decided to begin moving our forces northward tomorrow, and in four days' travel, by two routes, to arrive in the vicinity of Qingjiang and concentrate our forces.

3. The Third Army will take the left route, via Futian-Pengpo-Anhe-Pengjiazhou (cross the river to Luofang), and concentrate its forces in the vicinity of Shanqianjie.

The Fourth Army will take the right route, via Sanqutan-Xiajiang xian-Changpai-Jiefu, arriving in Qingjiang to concentrate its forces. The above two armies should set out from here (Ji'an) tomorrow morning (the 14th), and must arrive at their destinations by the 17th. (Marching plans are to be made independently.)

The Twelfth Army (minus the Second Column) and all organs of units directly attached to General Headquarters will set out on the right route, following the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, on the morning of the day after tomorrow (the 15th). The intention is to spend the night at Sanqutan on the first day, to stop in Xiajiang xian on the second day, to reach the vicinity of Changpai and Jiefu on the third day, and to arrive at the xian seat of Qingjiang on the fourth day (times of departure will be communicated separately by the Staff Office). The Second Column of the Twelfth Army will cross the river from Jishui to Sanqutan on the west bank on the 15th, and march ahead of General Headquarters and the Twelfth Army. The Twentieth Army will follow behind.

4. During the march, our position will be that of General Headquarters.

Addendum: General Headquarters of the Third Army is in charge of allocating areas of encampment at Qingjiang.

It is so ordered.

[Signed: Acting brigade leader of the transportation brigade of General Headquarters Huang Zhijin; Brigade leader of the engineering brigade of General Headquarters Yang Zaikui; Director of the general affairs office of the General Political Department He Ducai; Leader of the espionage team of General Headquarters Wang Jie; Leader of the espionage team of the Front Committee He Jinliang; Adjutant of General Headquarters Liu Jinding]

Commander-in-chief Zhu De
Political Commissar Mao Zedong

[Source: Mao's Road to Power, Vol. 3 (Schram ed.), pp. 550–51; the order is from Jiangxi dangshi ziliao, Vol. 6, pp. 161–62.]