Requesting Promotion by Length of Service for Battalion and Company Commanders請把總哨官計仕遷轉激勸人心狀
武學事目內營將把總哨官考其勤慢錄其實狀幷爲。啓聞別樣陞擢斥黜以爲勸懲故臣令左右防禦使查考把總哨官等能否牒報矣左防禦使邊應星牒呈內左營前司把總李影門禦衆有序訓鍊士卒多有成才者水北把摠朴洙弓馬超才士卒倚恃右防禦使邊良傑牒呈內右營前司把摠辛璧禦軍有法善於其任云云臣因自審察各人實跡則李影門所鍊五哨之軍試射中數居多朴洙武藝超群勤察其任辛壁習陣時觀其置陣整齊部伍分明似當依事目爲先論賞或除授實職以爲激勸之方大抵鍊兵之事各官守令皆爲兼把摠營將之任軍兵操鍊固當專責於守令而但守令事多軍民之政或多不能兼擧使守令摠其大綱而把總哨官分掌所屬各自訓鍊考其成效賞罰勸懲則鍊兵之事當自有頭緒近日習陣期會之時守令把總哨官各以其軍來會無故闕到之軍絕無而僅有益知編伍統攝之規不可廢也但把總哨官皆自食其糧自備其馬往來敎鍊只有終歲之勞苦而別無酬報之意群情以此或至於懈怠臣意京畿四營把總二十人哨官百人其中出身人等依平安道八防江邊出身之例計仕遷轉此乃在。朝家爲不費之惠而其於勸勵人心之道不爲無補令該司商量施行
Within the regulations for military training (武學事目) there is a rule that the diligence or sloth of Camp Commanders (營將), Battalion Commanders (把摠), and Company Commanders (哨官) be examined and the true state of it set down and reported to the throne, and that they be separately promoted or else turned out and dismissed, by way of encouragement and reproof. I therefore had the Left and Right Defense Commanders examine how well or ill the Battalion and Company Commanders had done, and report it in writing.
In the written report (牒呈) of Byeon Eungseong (邊應星), the Left Defense Commander: Yi Yeongmun (李影門), Battalion Commander of the Front Division of the Left Camp, keeps order in leading his men, and many of the soldiers he has trained have come to skill; and Bak Su (朴洙), Battalion Commander at Subuk, is outstanding in bow and horse, so that the soldiers trust and rely on him. In the written report of Byeon Yanggeol (邊良傑), the Right Defense Commander: Sin Byeok (辛璧), Battalion Commander of the Front Division of the Right Camp, has method in leading his troops and is able in his charge.
By this I looked for myself into each man's record. The soldiers of the five companies Yi Yeongmun drilled came out with many hits when tried at the shooting; Bak Su stands out from the rest in martial skill and attends to his charge diligently; and when Sin Byeok drilled in the formations his camp was trim and his ranks clear. It seems fitting that, according to the regulations, they be rewarded first, or else granted actual posts, as a way of giving encouragement.
In general, in the drilling of troops the magistrates of the several districts all hold the office of Battalion Commander besides and take the charge of Camp Commander, so it is indeed right that the drilling of soldiers be laid wholly upon the magistrates. Only, magistrates have many affairs, and at times they cannot carry on the business of the soldiers and that of the people together. If the magistrates are made to hold the main lines, and the Battalion and Company Commanders take charge of their own portions by division and each trains his own, and the results they achieve are examined and encouragement and reproof given by reward and punishment, then the drilling of troops will take order of itself.
At the musters appointed of late for drilling in the formations, the magistrates and the Battalion and Company Commanders each came and gathered with their own troops, and there were hardly any soldiers absent without cause; by which I know the better that the method of leading men by ranks drawn up (編伍) cannot be abandoned. Only, the Battalion and Company Commanders all eat their own provision and find their own horses and come and go teaching and drilling, so that the whole year through there is nothing but labor for them and no thought of repaying it apart; and the hearts of many grow slack on this account.
In my view, among the twenty Battalion Commanders and the hundred Company Commanders of the four camps of Gyeonggi, those who have passed the military examination should be promoted by a reckoning of their days in office, after the example of the graduates of the eight river-defense posts (防江) of Pyeongan Province. This is a favor that costs the court nothing, and it would not be without profit to the way of urging men's hearts to effort; let the office concerned weigh it and put it into effect.