Battle of Byeokjegwan
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Byeokjegwan (or Pyŏkje) (Chinese: 碧蹄館大戰; Bì tí guǎn dàzhàn) was a battle fought on January 27, 1593 (January 26 according to the Japanese calendar of the time), between the armies of the Ming Dynasty
led by Li Rusong
, and the Japanese forces under Tachibana Muneshige
, Ukita Hideie
, and Kobayakawa Takakage
. As part of the Imjin War, it was the first and the largest field battle fought during the war between the two sides.
and the Ming army of 36,000 set out from Liaodong December 25, 1592, as the first complete effort of the Ming army to aid the Joseon Dynasty
which had already been overran, he was very successful in the beginning and he retook Pyeongyang in a one-day direct assault on January 8, and retook the major city of Kaesong
not long after.
The capital city of Seoul
was the Ming force's next target. Li began to send early scouting parties towards Seoul in late January. A few skirmishes occurred between the two sides. Li left behind a few thousand men to defend Pyeongyang and Kaesong and set out for Seoul with his main host.
On the same morning, Li's advance party, under General Zha Dashou (查大受) along with the Korean general Go Eon-baek (고언백(高彦伯)) approached the Byeokjewan area north of Seoul. The Japanese force became aware of the advance and Tachibana Muneshige
sent out a small party of 500-600 men to lure the Ming army forward. The Ming party took the bait and charged forth, the Japanese party was badly hit but the Ming advance party was soon met by Muneshige's main host (3000 strong) coming in from the flanks and was forced to pulled back, they were trapped now in the nearby hills.
Li Rusong, upon hearing his advance party's plight, moved forward and tried to relieve his besieged scouts. He managed to meet up with his besieged scouts by around noon, only to be met with an even larger relief army from the Japanese side as other daimyo
's forces from the area also converged on Byeokjegwan.
Li Rusong was now trapped with his forces facing a Japanese host of between 30,000 to 40,000 strong. They were again forced to try to defend themselves on a hill, the muddy field conditions and narrow nature of the area made it difficult for them to utilize their horses, so the force mostly dismounted and fought on foot.
The Japanese forces advanced on the Ming position around 10 a.m. The initial attack by Ukita Hideie's forces was pushed back by the Ming, and then came the all out advance with Muneshige's force coming in from the right, Ukita Hideie
's force coming in from the front, and Kobayakawa Takakage
's force coming in from the left. Muneshige's forces fired off a volley of teppo
before charging head on into the Ming forces.
The Ming forces were without their heavy equipment or infantry support, but were made up almost entirely of their most elite retinue warriors. The two sides clashed and the Ming generals themselves were forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat during most of the battle. Li Rusong's brother, Li Rumei, shot a samurai warrior (Ono Nariyuki) at point blank range as he was about to duel with his brother. One of the Ming officers, Li Yousheng (李有聲), was killed while trying to defend Li Rusong. Several samurai of note also perished in the battle.
The all-out brawl continued form 10 a.m. to 12 at noon, while Japanese forces sent several waves up against the Ming position and both sides took significant casualties. At around noon it started to rain, and the broken ground grew more and more to resemble a swamp, making the melee fighting difficult. Changing tactics, Kobayakawa drew back his samurai to allow a field of fire for his arquebus
squads, who shot bullets into the mass of Chinese and Koreans. The Japanese then pursued the defeated Ming army back up the pass to its highest point, and after a few more hours of fighting Kobayakawa ordered the advance to cease as darkness fell. The Japanese forces, not ready to commit to an all-out field battle with the Ming's main host, pulled back towards Seoul, and the Ming army, having taken heavy loss among their elite warriors, also pulled back towards Kaesong
.
first reported a casualty figure of roughly 200 to the chief overseer Song Yingchang
, though it was later blasted by other Ming officials back home of being faulty, a investigation send concluded that the actual casaulty figure was closer to the 2,000 range (as many of the retinue soldiers killed were off-the-record soldiers, the on-record soldiers casualty was indeed in the 200s.); the first Korean report on the battle relayed a story from a different Ming general that was not directly involved in the battle that the Ming lost 1,500 men while only killing a little more than a hundred foe, while the Japanese records seem to suggest that they lost 2,000-3,000 men while killing 6,000 men of the Ming force. One source in particular suggests that the Ming lost 20,000 men, (which would have been around 60% of the entire Ming army in Korea at that time).
Given the nature of the battle and the maneuvers of both sides in the days and months after the battle, it could be estimate both sides lost between 2,000 to 5,000 men, though the Ming casaulties were almost entirely among their elite retinues, which made the number more significant than it would appear.
The battle and other dispute at Pyongyang and elsewhere led to an ever increasing friction between the Ming officers of different origins.
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
led by Li Rusong
Li Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
, and the Japanese forces under Tachibana Muneshige
Tachibana Muneshige
, known in his youth as Senkumaru and alternatively called Tachibana Munetora , was a samurai during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and a Edo Period daimyo. He was the eldest biological son of Takahashi Shigetane, a retainer of Ōtomo clan...
, Ukita Hideie
Ukita Hideie
was the daimyo of Bizen and Mimasaka provinces , and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gohime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie...
, and Kobayakawa Takakage
Kobayakawa Takakage
was a samurai retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku period, and the son of Mōri Motonari. Adopted by the head of the Kobayakawa clan, Takakage took his name, and succeeded his adoptive father to become head of the Kobayakawa clan following his death in 1545.As head of the Kobayakawa...
. As part of the Imjin War, it was the first and the largest field battle fought during the war between the two sides.
Background
Li RusongLi Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
and the Ming army of 36,000 set out from Liaodong December 25, 1592, as the first complete effort of the Ming army to aid the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
which had already been overran, he was very successful in the beginning and he retook Pyeongyang in a one-day direct assault on January 8, and retook the major city of Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
not long after.
The capital city of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
was the Ming force's next target. Li began to send early scouting parties towards Seoul in late January. A few skirmishes occurred between the two sides. Li left behind a few thousand men to defend Pyeongyang and Kaesong and set out for Seoul with his main host.
Battle
On the 26th of January, Li was notified by allied Korean scouts that the Japanese forces had withdrawn from Seoul and it was now an undefended city. Encouraged by this (false) report, Li left behind all of his infantry and artillery, and set out with a large number of his generals and their immediate retinues. Figures vary, but mostly stay within the 1,000-3,000 range, this host made up entirely of cavalry set out to join their advance scouts and hoped to reach and secure Seoul immediately. The two forces combined for some 5,000 to 7,000 cavalry.On the same morning, Li's advance party, under General Zha Dashou (查大受) along with the Korean general Go Eon-baek (고언백(高彦伯)) approached the Byeokjewan area north of Seoul. The Japanese force became aware of the advance and Tachibana Muneshige
Tachibana Muneshige
, known in his youth as Senkumaru and alternatively called Tachibana Munetora , was a samurai during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and a Edo Period daimyo. He was the eldest biological son of Takahashi Shigetane, a retainer of Ōtomo clan...
sent out a small party of 500-600 men to lure the Ming army forward. The Ming party took the bait and charged forth, the Japanese party was badly hit but the Ming advance party was soon met by Muneshige's main host (3000 strong) coming in from the flanks and was forced to pulled back, they were trapped now in the nearby hills.
Li Rusong, upon hearing his advance party's plight, moved forward and tried to relieve his besieged scouts. He managed to meet up with his besieged scouts by around noon, only to be met with an even larger relief army from the Japanese side as other daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
's forces from the area also converged on Byeokjegwan.
Li Rusong was now trapped with his forces facing a Japanese host of between 30,000 to 40,000 strong. They were again forced to try to defend themselves on a hill, the muddy field conditions and narrow nature of the area made it difficult for them to utilize their horses, so the force mostly dismounted and fought on foot.
The Japanese forces advanced on the Ming position around 10 a.m. The initial attack by Ukita Hideie's forces was pushed back by the Ming, and then came the all out advance with Muneshige's force coming in from the right, Ukita Hideie
Ukita Hideie
was the daimyo of Bizen and Mimasaka provinces , and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gohime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie...
's force coming in from the front, and Kobayakawa Takakage
Kobayakawa Takakage
was a samurai retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku period, and the son of Mōri Motonari. Adopted by the head of the Kobayakawa clan, Takakage took his name, and succeeded his adoptive father to become head of the Kobayakawa clan following his death in 1545.As head of the Kobayakawa...
's force coming in from the left. Muneshige's forces fired off a volley of teppo
Teppo
*Teppo is a Finnish male name, equivalent to "Stephen".* Teppo is a video game character from Battle Realms.* Teppō , the Japanese word for guns, especially the arquebuses derived from Portuguese models....
before charging head on into the Ming forces.
The Ming forces were without their heavy equipment or infantry support, but were made up almost entirely of their most elite retinue warriors. The two sides clashed and the Ming generals themselves were forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat during most of the battle. Li Rusong's brother, Li Rumei, shot a samurai warrior (Ono Nariyuki) at point blank range as he was about to duel with his brother. One of the Ming officers, Li Yousheng (李有聲), was killed while trying to defend Li Rusong. Several samurai of note also perished in the battle.
The all-out brawl continued form 10 a.m. to 12 at noon, while Japanese forces sent several waves up against the Ming position and both sides took significant casualties. At around noon it started to rain, and the broken ground grew more and more to resemble a swamp, making the melee fighting difficult. Changing tactics, Kobayakawa drew back his samurai to allow a field of fire for his arquebus
Arquebus
The arquebus , or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute...
squads, who shot bullets into the mass of Chinese and Koreans. The Japanese then pursued the defeated Ming army back up the pass to its highest point, and after a few more hours of fighting Kobayakawa ordered the advance to cease as darkness fell. The Japanese forces, not ready to commit to an all-out field battle with the Ming's main host, pulled back towards Seoul, and the Ming army, having taken heavy loss among their elite warriors, also pulled back towards Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
.
Casualties
As with many battles in the Imjin war, the casaulty figure is wildly different depending on the source. Li RusongLi Rusong
Li Ru-song was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling , LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of Tieling (Chinese:鐵嶺衛), LiaoDong Li Ru-song (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of Ming empire who is from the town of...
first reported a casualty figure of roughly 200 to the chief overseer Song Yingchang
Song Yingchang
Song Yingchang was an administrative official during the Ming dynasty, most famously known for managing the first Ming campaign of the Imjin war during 1592-1593 .-Career:...
, though it was later blasted by other Ming officials back home of being faulty, a investigation send concluded that the actual casaulty figure was closer to the 2,000 range (as many of the retinue soldiers killed were off-the-record soldiers, the on-record soldiers casualty was indeed in the 200s.); the first Korean report on the battle relayed a story from a different Ming general that was not directly involved in the battle that the Ming lost 1,500 men while only killing a little more than a hundred foe, while the Japanese records seem to suggest that they lost 2,000-3,000 men while killing 6,000 men of the Ming force. One source in particular suggests that the Ming lost 20,000 men, (which would have been around 60% of the entire Ming army in Korea at that time).
Given the nature of the battle and the maneuvers of both sides in the days and months after the battle, it could be estimate both sides lost between 2,000 to 5,000 men, though the Ming casaulties were almost entirely among their elite retinues, which made the number more significant than it would appear.
Other controversies
Although the official version of the story was that Li Rusong and the Ming forces were misled by faulty Korean intelligence. Some of the other Ming generals (especially those that originated from the South) claimed that in fact it was Zha Dashou who misled Li and the other Ming forces, Zha thought that the Japanese forces were on the verge of collapse, thus a fast and sudden advance on their position would cause them to pull out of Seoul, and as the vanguard of the group, he would gain the largest share of the glory, they cited that almost all of them were caught by surprise by Li's sudden departure the day before the battle, and scrambled to catch him.The battle and other dispute at Pyongyang and elsewhere led to an ever increasing friction between the Ming officers of different origins.
Sources
- Annals of King Seonjo
- 《日本戰史‧朝鮮役》http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/BIImgFrame.php?JP_NUM=43007042&VOL_NUM=00001&KOMA=129&ITYPE=0
- 《明史‧李如松傳》E5.AD.90_.E5.A6.82.E6.9D.BE
- 朝鮮壬辰倭禍史料 李光濤編 中央研究院歷史語言研究所刊行
- 經略復國要編 宋應昌 著 臺北 : 京華出版 : 華文發行, 1968
- Samurai Invasion Japan's Korean War 1592 -1598 by Stephen Turnbull, p. 143-148
- 征東實錄 錢世楨 著 (The Records of the Eastern Expedition by Qian ShiZhengQian ShiZhengQian Shizhen was a Ming dynasty general who particapated in the Imjin war. His chosen name is Zhisun, and his nickname was Sanqi. He was the author of "The records of the Eastern Expedition " and "Comments on archery" .-Early life:...
.)