Urgent Report on the Enemy's Strength馳。啓賊勢狀
近日賊勢大槪已具於各處馳報自今月初十日賊兵散出於東邊焚蕩殺戮於楊州抱川以及加平之境李時言鄭希玄朴名賢高彥伯等或接戰或設伏射斬邀擊昨日臣軍官金善義都元師軍官崔韻等及防禦使軍人僧軍等又爲邀擊於松橋近處斬得十餘級西邊則自碧蹄退兵之後賊兵久不出入惟於延曙等處往來刈草還入城中而倡義將朴惟仁秋義將尹先正義兵將李山輝等連日交戰所斬亦多首級之數已載於前日狀。啓矣賊兵雖似數多而我國被虜者居半官義諸軍不無爭先賈勇之氣頗勝於前日所患者軍食不敷僅得連命人馬困乏不堪馳突擊刺難以大捷惟此一事無善處之䇿當日午時巡邊使李薲體探軍人馳報內賊兵巳時新院近處先鋒及後軍連續出來云雖未必來犯坡州等處而時方戒嚴待變
The enemy's posture of late is for the most part already set out in full in the dispatches sent by rider from the several places. From the tenth of this month the enemy soldiers have spread out eastward and burnt and killed from Yangju (楊州) and Pocheon (抱川) as far as the border of Gapyeong (加平), and Yi Sieon (李時言), Jeong Hihyeon (鄭希玄), Bak Myeonghyeon (朴名賢) and Go Eonbaek (高彥伯) and the rest have in some places closed with them and in some places set ambushes, shooting and cutting them down and meeting their attacks. Yesterday your servant's military officer Kim Seonui (金善義) and the Field Marshal's military officer Choe Un (崔韻) and the rest, with the Defense Commander's troops and the monk troops, again met and struck them near Songgyo (松橋) and cut off some ten heads and more.
In the west, since the troops were withdrawn at Byeokje (碧蹄), the enemy soldiers have long not come and gone, but only go to and fro about Yeonseo (延曙) and such places cutting grass and then turning back within the walls. Bak Yuin (朴惟仁), commander of the Changui force, Yun Seonjeong (尹先正), commander of the Chuui force, and Yi Sanhwi (李山輝), commander of righteous troops, and the rest have fought day after day and cut down many; the number of heads taken has already been entered in the report sent up before.
The enemy soldiers seem many in number, but men of our own country who have been taken captive make up half of them. Among the government troops and the righteous troops of the several commands there is no lack of spirit in vying with one another to show their valor, and they are considerably better than before. What is to be feared is that the military grain is not ample, barely enough to keep life going, and that men and horses are worn and harassed and cannot bear to rush in and thrust, so that a great victory is hard to win. For this one thing alone there is no plan for dealing well with it.
At midday that day the scouting troops of the frontier commander Yi Bin (李薲) sent word by rider that at the hour of the snake the enemy soldiers came out near Sinwon (新院), vanguard and rear guard one after another. They may not surely be coming to invade Paju and such places, but we are keeping strict watch and awaiting events.
Interlinear notes 1
癸巳三月二十二日
The twenty-second day of the third month of the Gyesa year