Our Troops Should Strive to
Concentrate Their Forces and Rest at
Wuqizhen and Jintangzhen
(October 16, 1935, 7:00 P.M.)

Peng [Dehuai]:
1. There is no recent news about the enemy's situation.
2. The First Column marched for fifty li today, reached the area of
Muguacheng, and camped there. It is planned for it to march fifty or sixty li to
the Tiebiancheng, Diaozhang, and Tianbaihu line tomorrow, and to advance
toward Wuqizhen the day after.
3. The Second and Third Columns should advance toward Jintangzhen tomorrow. If the enemy situation permits they should march fifty to sixty li a day,
and prepare to arrive at Jintangzhen in three to four days' march.
4. If the enemy pursuing us halts, our army should gather and rest for a day
or two at Wuqizhen and Jintangzhen, find out about conditions in Bao'an and
Jingbian, and then attack by separate routes and capture them. They should then
rest, consolidate their forces, and expand in the area of Wuqizhen, Bao'an, and
Jingbian, collect funds and supplies, and solve the problem of winter uniforms.
At the same time they should send someone to the Soviet Area to establish
liaison.
5. At present there is not much marching every day, so please order each unit
to make use of the time to carry out education, and to make every effort to
improve provisions.

Mao

--- Notes

Our source for this telegram is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 374-75.