全面内战爆发后的几个月,陈毅元帅颇不顺利。6月,他希望华中野战军抽调16个团投入淮南作战,但华野粟裕却力主先在苏中打几个胜仗。7月中,蒋军向淮北、淮南、苏中、鲁南发动大规模进攻。陈毅在朝阳集战斗中取得了歼灭战的胜利,却在月底丢失了淮南解放区。7月25日,陈毅率山野指挥部抵淮北,时值雨季,滂沱大雨连日不停,到处沟深水满,部队行军举步维艰。参谋处许多人认为此时不宜攻城,陈毅却决心攻取泗县。然而,被称为“陈军长袖子里的小老虎”的八师于8月上旬攻城未克,士气低落,牢骚埋怨甚多。在此困难时刻,陈毅表现出了一个领导者难能可贵的真诚和气度,他给八师领导写信:“3月来未打好,不是部队不好……是我这个统帅犯两个错误 A few months after the outbreak of the comprehensive civil war, Marshal Chen Yi did not go well. In June, he hoped that the Central China Field Army deployed 16 regiments to work in Huainan, but Huanyu Suyu struggled to win several battles in the Soviet Union first. In mid-July, Chiang Kai-shek launched a massive offensive to Huaibei, Huainan, Suzhong and Lunan. Chen Yi made a victory in annihilation in the battle of Chaoyang, but lost the liberated area of ​​Huainan at the end of the month. July 25, Chen Yi rate of wild command arrived in Huaibei, the time when the rainy season, torrential rain continuous days, full of ditch everywhere, the troops marching difficult. Many people think that staff should not siege at this time, Chen Yi is determined to attack Si County. However, the eight-division division, known as the ”little tiger in Chen’s sleeve“, did not attack the city in early August. His morale was low and his complaints complained. In this difficult moment, Chen Yi demonstrated the valuable and sincere leadership of a leader. He wrote a letter to the leaders of the eight divisions: ”It has not been laid in March, it is not an army that is not good... It is my commander who made two mistakes