Because of the above, you will have to handle your Wakizashi short sword with one hand, but you cannot cut through armour with one hand and also the blade will break. This will leave you without and wanting, and you will not know what to do with your hands. I remember, there was one such person, who could not draw his sword, therefore he embraced the enemy with vigour, tumbling like a rice bag, up and over each other, tumbling around, which ended up with him being pinned to the ground. Next he tried to draw his Wakizashi short sword with intent and to stab the enemy from below but it had a huge gold-leafed guard, like a lid of a big pan – stopping him from drawing it. They used to say ‘carrying objects that stand out on a battlefield is good’, however this is not always good, in this case it prevented him from drawing his weapon before he was decapitated.15 I have another story, another man who was also pinned to the ground had a big knife, as he was a cook and had a knife to chop vegetables and fish. So, he drew it out when he was pinned to the ground and stabbed it through the gap of the enemy’s tasse, that is the armoured skirt about his waist. The cook then pushed upwards and wrestled the enemy over on to the ground and killed him by thrusting and turning the knife in his belly. The cook was the only one who was wearing a straight sword on top of his armour.
Also, you should remember, when you see someone on horseback draw their sword, they sometimes injure their horses as the tip of the sword hits the horse. Seeing these injuries, you may notice that curved swords or Ko-Wakizashi lesser short swords should be worn on top of the armour.
If you have a Ko-Wakizashi lesser short sword without a guard, you can draw it easily. Also, a large Kogatana – that is a big but slender knife kept next to the handle of your sword – has many benefits. You can use it if you have lost your Ko-Wakizashi lesser short sword or something like that. Therefore, Yaroku, remember you should not put a long Wakizashi short sword under the outer sash of your armour. I took off my armour – just now – to show you how to wear it, but remember you should never take off the horse’s saddle or take off your armour without our master’s order. So I should put it back on immediately.
Hasamibako16 Mochi
The Box Carrying Servant
By
Yarokubei
For my service for this campaign, our master liberated me from a Hasamibako travelling box, and he has had me carry a wicker trunk for him instead. Yesterday some Hasamibako box-carrier of another master was jostled in a crowd and had his trunk broken, so much so that all the things were scattered around and stolen. Moreover, as he slipped and fell, he was trampled on like a spider, making him vomit lots of blood. He then stood up and I heard he would have fought everyone then and there and to the death. However, it seems within their clan too, that fighting or any argument between allies is strictly banned, so he reminded himself of those laws and managed to stop his anger and kept an expressionless face, however, it was grudgingly and with shame.
Within our clan, any fighting or argument between allies is strictly banned, not only while we are in a battle camp but also whenever we are out on any form of travel. This is so because if you are not killed by the enemy when you return from the campaign, accompanying our master, you will be free to kill [anyone who has angered you during the conflict, as happened in the above story]. That bloke had dealings with those under another lord but managed to control himself; however, he did this with a sense of shame, but if he had grabbed someone and stabbed them in the belly, things would have depended upon the strength of his arm. Being a coward is also a no-no but he must have missed that, I guess.
However, it is a grave issue if you have not killed a single enemy but have killed someone on your side, even if they are not within your own clan – remember this is an insult to the honourable Shogun. Anyway, I suggest you should have as little contact as possible with those from other clans.
We are so lucky that we can have such a light-weight wicker trunk instead of the other heavy ones, thanks to my master’s orders; besides we are also allowed to carry a sword. Now with this weapon we have a strong backbone, so much so that we could probably defeat the great and famous ancient warrior monk Benkei!
However, regrettably, the hilt of my sword was new when we left Edo, but as it is always in contact with the metal of my gloves, the braided threads on it have been worn out. Though once I thought I would die in my first battle, I now find that I have survived long and unexpectedly, and I feel my life will last long enough, so I am now at ease. On top of that, our master is a Hatamoto, or close retainer of the lord, and stays at the headquarters, which means we are far from the battle-front, so it is only sometimes we hear the sound of muskets. This said, we had a random shot come over to us yesterday and it weighed about 5 kin [3kg]. It hit me on the nose and bounced back leaving no trace.17 So, no matter how much I think I might die, I just don’t seem to be able to kick the bucket.
This worn-out hilt is a nuisance now I am still alive. Though I want to take it out and have a new one, there are no sword-smiths here, therefore, I am stuck and annoyed, though I thought such a hilt done like this would endure as long as I breathe; but now it has given me nothing but trouble. Oh, what should I do? Ah, that reminds me! You should not hold a Wakizashi short sword with both hands; instead you should hold it in one hand when fighting with it; because of this the hilt only has to be one hand’s width long. As it is held in one hand it is better to be thin and should not be too thick. Thinking on, I think I should take away all the threads of this hilt and reduce it to the core.18 Then I will hunt for some vines of honeysuckle or something else like that around here. I think I should put it into the hole of the tang and double wrap it. (See Fig 7)
Umatori
The Groom
By
Kinroku
When accompanying our master in battle, there are essential things both of us, that is the two grooms, need to carry and need to know. First, you should attach the horse ladle19 and the Hananeji nose twister onto your waist. Then put the headgear, the bridle and the bit around your neck. Also, hold the saddle-girth, martingale and the stirrup leather as well.20
Load the horse with the Mentsu, which is a wooden container for rice on the left saddle ring, while the small musket and the flag-holding cylinder goes on the right saddle ring. On each of the rear saddle rings hang bags of soy beans, and a satchel on the saddle horn, a bag of dried rice on the rear saddle horn and horse shoes on the rear saddle rings, so that they are fixed firmly. Always keep hold of the leash tightly and secure the horse to something. Attach the Kobanagawa nose-band onto the Tachigiki cheek piece to hold him in place and when you feed the horse, loosen and release the bit. As soon as the feeding has finished, re-tighten the headstall and bit the horse again.
When you hold the horse still, even for a little while, be sure to put the hobbles – which is a form of mesh net that goes around the knees – on the legs and be sure not to let the horse go. If you let a young horse loose, it could cause a big commotion, so much so that it may turn out that we lose the battle. So never fail to check and restrain the horse with the rope tightly.
Also, I tell you this just in case you need to know. The Mozuogane metal fittings which are on the stirrups sometimes break and we do not have spare stirrups to replace them, so in that case, be aware that you have to fix the stirrups by tying them up with anything you can find.
A blanket should be kept on the saddle when the master is mounted. Do not throw it away, this is so that the master can use it as a mat. The under-blanket can be used for us footmen as a mat when needed. Remember you should utilise every item in your gear with great care.
Umatori
The Groom
By
Toroku
Kinroku’s above story has reminded me of something. As early as within seven days of my birth, I heard my great grandfather, Hikozo, say the following and I have kept it in mind for the last twenty-four or twenty-five years now.21 I remember, he said someone had a mouse on a leash which was tied around its neck, but the
mouse escaped and one or two military units at first made a fuss of its escape. Then that fuss caused a bigger commotion, and made other people think that they were under an enemy attack, which in turn brought about the collapse of troop after troop as they fled in fear. Those in the rear troops tried to stick to their positions, however if the ones in the vanguard are as small as dwarfs and those in the rear are as big as the Great Statue of Buddha, then once an army begins collapsing there is no way to stop it.22 Grandpa Hikozo also told me that they were all shouting in fear and a massive army of 50,000 to 60,000 people ended up withdrawing as far as a ten days’ distance, all at once. So I remind you that it is quite reasonable for Kinroku to encourage you to restrain a horse as much as he did in the above story. As even with only one mouse, things went thus. Imagine if a horse was released, it is four or five hundred times as big as a mouse, this means that the same army as above would have to withdraw by 1,000 days distance. That would be even more than going through the whole country from the tip of the west all the way to Ezochi23 in the north, it would be quite something to see. Therefore, army protocol strictly tells us not to release a horse, so we must handle horses most carefully.
Along the same lines, you are not allowed within the battle camp to sing a Kouta ballad, recite a Joruri dramatic recitation or storytelling; this is set with the aim of preventing us from raising our voices in cheer. It is for this reason too that something called a baiboku24 mouth gag is used.
It does not seem likely that all of the 50,000 or 60,000 people at that time were cowards, and some people must have been brave and composed; however, even though it was only one or two who made a fuss at the beginning, once it had turned into a big commotion, it seems to have been very difficult to contain. So remember this, never let go of a horse!
This is how to hold the bridle:
If the master holds the bridle and takes command of the horse, we grooms have our hands free and nothing to do, so it is a shame if we do not kill the enemy, for we are now wearing swords!
Also, from my experience of serving forty or fifty different masters, it depends on the clan how you should be prepared mentally.
Now I am on the battlefield serving a samurai master and I have realised that, though samurai often talk about being killed as the result of their feats in war, I say to you my friend Kinroku, there is not such a great chance of being killed, if I am honest that is. If you are killed for nothing, the enemy will be highly spirited and at an advantage while your allies will become panicked and in a disadvantageous position. If you cannot help but be killed, then at least try to kill at least one enemy if you can. Of course, killing two makes it an advantage but to kill as many as 100 would be best if you can do it. This all depends on the strength found in the sinews of your arms, if you waste your life without killing anyone, it is surely a cowardly thing to do. If you die for nothing, the rations you have been given will also be in vain, so always keep this in mind.
Kutsumochi
The ‘Shoe Box’ Carrying Servant25
By
Kichiroku
As I am allowed to carry a shoe bag on my back instead of carrying a trunk, I can move freely in battle, so much so that I could even beat the famous warrior monk Benkei. On top of that, I am wearing a sword on my waist – I feel I can do anything. However, on deeper reflection, I am aware that my most important job is to take good care of the horse so that it will not get tired, this is more important than anything I could do in battle.
This horse was engaged in close combat fighting this morning, chasing or overtaking for about one hour, and the enemy were driven away in the end. Since the horse really has done quite a hard job, I want to feed him as much beans or porridge as he likes. However, it is not good to feed him too much at once. What I should do is let him eat little by little and do not let him lie down at night but keep him standing up. If he lies down, he will be tired and useless tomorrow.
Also, when I see other shoe carrying servants from other clans, they seem to have a lot of trouble. I mean if you hold a trunk on your shoulder, you cannot do anything, even if an enemy comes to behead you.
When we were last on the march, a horse belonging to another troop became excited, so much so that the footmen and the rider were trying hard to calm it down, but it would not be still and made the horses around him excited. Then one shoe box carrying servant was stuck between some horses and was trying not to be kicked by them in the confusion. It turned out that his trunk hit the hip of a horse and that made the horse even more excited, making it further out of control. On top of that, he fell down and the trunk was totally destroyed in this muddle. As we have free hands, because we carry bags, I will do anything to help my comrades Toroku and Kinroku if such a thing happens to them. (See Fig 8)
* * *
VOLUME TWO
* * *
Yabakomochi
The Arrow Box Carrying Servant
By
Yazo
Until yesterday, we two soldiers were carrying a burden of 100 arrows each, but this morning a skirmish of 200–300 people began and now it seems that we will run out of our supply of arrows. We cannot get the packhorses, who have the arrows, to the front of the column. Each of us has been carrying a box with 200 arrows, instead of loading them on the horses. This is because the battle has been carrying on since this morning and now my guess is that everyone is running out of arrows.
Oh, also, I just remembered one thing. I saw two strange people among the ashigaru foot soldiers; this is what they did:
Seeing the enemy were at a distance of about 10 cho away, one of the ashigaru became flustered, thinking it was the distance we were told to start shooting arrows. Even though the gun shooting had not started yet, he began shooting arrows and used up all in his quiver. When spent, he was totally out of arrows but had not succeeded in killing a single enemy, he had nothing he could do but call out to us for supplies, his voice rang out, ‘Yabakomochi!26 Yabakomochi!’ However, he found that there were none of us around, so he began contemplating about what he could do with a bow, even thinking about throwing it away, as now it was as useless as a stick, but then he remembered that he had fixed a Hazuyari bayonet blade on the tip of the top of his bow. Just then, an enemy attacked him with his nose hair sticking out, that is to say, with his guard down. So aiming well at the enemy’s nostrils he stabbed with his Hazuyari blade – which is the bayonet on his bow – and it pierced through his face and out of his earhole, and as a result he claimed one head for his collection.
The other strange ashigaru that I saw before looked so pale that I thought that he may be terrified. He had shot all of his arrows but one and regained his composure,27 so much so that he could remember what he was told by the protocols laid down by the army. Thinking he would shoot his arrow at the last moment of his death, he took the arrow, nocked it to his bow string and kept hold of it by drawing and loosening his bow for a 4 or 5 cho distance as he moved, waiting for the correct moment to actually let the arrow fly. Just then an enemy came to him, charging with his mouth wide open like a crocodile, at this, the ashigaru with one arrow waited until he got as close as within a spear’s distance and when he came as close as staff length,28 he shot the arrow, which pierced the enemy through the mouth to the nape and into the back plate of his armour. At which point the enemy fell down to the ground face-up and the bowman beheaded him. His early performance was poor and if you reflect on it you can see it was totally a waste of arrows as his shooting was for no reason. Think, if even one arrow is enough for you to achieve such a feat, you must understand that it is not a good idea to keep shooting from the beginning of the battle and exhaust your arrows. The same thing sometimes happens with the samurai. Some samurai do not think us chugen or komono servants – those like me and you – are worth much and treat us roughly at first. However, if the servants bark back at the samurai like dogs, they will show their weakness and in the end their shame. A common saying goes, ‘Rudeness blooms out of cowardice, that is to say co
wardly dogs bark loudest’; this is the same thing.
Of the two ashigaru I mentioned, the one who killed his enemy with the Hazuyari bow bayonet and the other who killed with an arrow, I think the arrow story should get more credit, if talking about which feat is greater. I think this because the first ashigaru had used up all his arrows, which is not a good thing to do as a bowman, even though he got a head. What do you think?
I have kept this staff that I am holding now, because it will be useful when we have to carry any two arrow boxes or bring water, as you know.
Well, well, guess what, we have done better than getting a head! That is because we are carrying out our duties very well and it is worth more than killing with a Hazuyari bow bayonet, like the one I just talked about.29
When I picked up a spent arrow and had a good look at it, I found the arrowhead was not held very tightly and had come loose, and the head and shaft broke apart easily. Because of this, I will fix the arrowheads, that are in my arrow box which is on my back; I will secure them very tightly, that is before I give them out. I must say, it is miserable to bear an arrow box on your shoulder, as we used to do; you could not move without some difficulty. Now we are carrying it on the back like a backpack, it is much easier, so much so that we can rush around as much as we like. Which reminds me, when we crossed the mountain yesterday, did you see other servants carrying arrow boxes in other troops as they climbed up? Each load was carried between two people but the front corners of the boxes got caught; this meant that they had much difficulty when carrying them up. They tried to lift them with so much effort that someone ended up falling down the slope and the arrows were scattered all over. On top of this, the people passing by them were treading on the arrows so that all of the arrows broke and there were none left fit for use. Since we are carrying the box on our backs, we can climb up and down such a mountain as the one yesterday, as many as 100 times for the same period of time that they were struggling.
Samurai War Stories Page 3