The troops should strive to assemble and rest at Wuqi Town and Jintang Town[1]

(October 16, 1935)

Comrade Peng:

(1) No new intelligence on the enemy situation.

(2) The First Column marched 50 li today and reached the vicinity of Mugua City to encamp. Tomorrow (the 17th), it plans to advance to the line of Tiebian City, Diaozhang, and Tianbaihu, covering approximately 50 to 60 li. The day after tomorrow, it will proceed toward Wuqi Town.[2]

(3) The Second and Third Columns should advance toward Jintang Town[3] tomorrow. If the enemy situation permits, march 50 to 60 li per day, and prepare to reach Jintang Town in three to four days’ journey.

(4) If the pursuing enemy halts, our army should assemble and rest for one or two days at Wuqi Town and Jintang Town, ascertain the conditions in Bao’an[4] and Jingbian, and then advance by separate routes to capture them. That is, rest, consolidate, and expand in the area of Wuqi Town, Bao’an, and Jingbian, collect supplies, resolve the issue of winter clothing, and at the same time send personnel to the Soviet Area to establish contact.

(5) As we are not marching great distances each day now, order all units to use the time for education and to do their utmost to improve provisions.

Mao

19:00, the 16th

[1] This is a telegram from Mao Zedong to Comrade Peng Dehuai, commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu Detachment of the Red Army.
[2] Wuqi Town, now named Wuqi Town, is the county seat of Wuqi County, Shaanxi Province.
[3] Jintang Town is located in the western part of present-day Zhidan County, Shaanxi Province.
[4] Bao’an, an old county name, refers to present-day Zhidan County, Shaanxi Province.