Report That the Ming Army Withdrew from Dongpa to Gaeseong馳。啓天兵自東坡又退開城府狀
今日曉臣與接待使李德馨等俱詣提督下處問安提督出令軍馬分半欲送于開城府使之休息火箭器械亦令送于開城府臣甚怪其由令譯官問之則答云此處無一房屋天若下雨軍器盡濕則不可用獨不見祖承訓之事乎臣告曰前日自坡州還駐東坡遠近民情莫不驚懼今又分兵送于開城府則雖老爺切於休兵更進愚民豈知此意且賊聞之必乘勝西下前功盡棄願老爺退軍還進曲折明白分付陪臣亦當分道兼措開城府糧料提督怒曰吾堂有退去之意爾輩何以不曉事而多言耶臣不得已退來大槪提督昨日不用南兵與數十騎卒遇賊兵不利而退所當申勅軍馬更爲進取之計而遽爲退駐今又欲退開城勢甚可疑而不肯明言若聞退歸之言則必發怒若。天兵因此而退則賊氣愈驕必乘勢長驅恐大事因此不濟不勝痛憤之至且京畿馬草全不接濟自將官以下戰馬一日倒殞者無慮數百餘匹其餘皆飢立待斃欲刈取則軍人不來欲輸運則江華通津等邑海島往來必經數日臣初非所管地方事非預措臨迫際計無所出
At dawn today your servant, together with the envoy-attendant Yi Deokhyeong (李德馨) and the rest, went to the Commander-in-Chief's quarters to ask after him. The Commander-in-Chief had given orders to divide the horse and men in half and send them to Gaeseong to rest, and had the fire-arrows and the engines of war sent to Gaeseong as well.
Your servant thought this exceedingly strange and had the interpreter ask the reason, and he said, "There is not one house in this place, and if rain comes down from the sky and the war gear is all soaked it cannot be used. Have you not seen what befell Zu Chengxun (祖承訓)?"
Your servant said, "When the other day you withdrew from Paju and halted at Dongpa, there was not a heart far or near that was not startled and afraid. If now the troops are divided again and sent to Gaeseong, then however much Your Honor may mean to rest the troops and advance once more, how should the foolish people understand this intent? And when the enemy hear of it they will surely ride the force of their victory and come down westward, and all the merit won before will be thrown away. We beg that Your Honor will make plain by order the reasons for drawing the troops back and advancing again. Your servant too will divide the roads and provide the grain at Gaeseong besides." The Commander-in-Chief grew angry and said, "How should I have any intent to withdraw? Why does your sort understand nothing of affairs and talk so much?" — and your servant had no choice but to withdraw and come away.
In the main, the Commander-in-Chief yesterday did not use the southern troops (南兵) but met the enemy with a few score horsemen, and failing to win he withdrew; he ought therefore to charge the horse and men again and again and lay a plan to advance and strike once more, yet he has fallen back and halted all at once, and now means to withdraw to Gaeseong besides. The shape of things is most doubtful, but he will not speak plainly of it, and when he hears talk of withdrawing he is sure to grow angry. Should the Ming troops withdraw on this account, the enemy's spirit will grow still more arrogant and they will surely ride that spirit and drive far up against us; and your servant cannot master his bitterness, fearing that the great work will fail for this.
Moreover the fodder for the horses in Gyeonggi is not supplied at all, so that of the war horses of the commanders and those below them no fewer than several hundred head fall and die in a single day, and the rest all stand hungry and wait for death. To cut fodder and bring it, there are no troops that come; to carry it in, the going to and from the islands of such districts as Ganghwa and Tongjin must take some days. Your servant was not charged with this province from the first and so could not provide for the business beforehand; in this pressing hour there is nowhere for a plan to come from.