nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: Although the Satsuma army was defeated in the battle of Tabaru Slope, it had established defensive positions along the line connecting the Ariake sea, Kichiji Pass, Ueki, and Waifu as early as on 21st.
Japanese: 田原坂の戦いでは薩軍は敗北に終わったが、21日には早くも有明海・吉次峠・植木・隈府を結ぶ線に防衛陣地を築きあげた。
English: The Satsuma army intended to delay the government army's attack by blocking their way to enter Kumamoto with the defensive positions.
Japanese: そうすることによって官軍の熊本への道を遮断し、攻撃を遅らせようとした。
English: The battle over Tabaru (Tabaru Slope, Kichiji Pass) started on March 1, which was a decisive battle of the war, was so fierce that bullets fired at that time are often found from the fields and the slope at the site still now, over 100 years after the war.
Japanese: 3月1日に始まった田原をめぐる戦い（田原坂・吉次峠）は、この戦争の分水嶺になった激戦で、戦争から100年以上たった現在でも現地では当時の銃弾が田畑や斜面からしばしば発見されている。
English: In the Satsuma army, courageous soldiers including Commander of the 1st battalion Kunimoto SHINOHARA, who served as the second-in-command, were killed one after another.
Japanese: 薩軍では副司令格であった一番大隊指揮長篠原国幹をはじめ、勇猛の士が次々と戦死した。
English: The fierceness of the battle of Tabaru Slope can be understood from the fact that 11 out of 30 platoon leaders of the government army were killed.
Japanese: 田原坂の激戦は官軍の小隊長30名のうち11名が命を落としたことからも窺うことができる。
English: In exchange for that large death toll, the government army overwhelmed the Satsuma army in the battle of Tabaru Slope, and steadily took the first step toward the rescue of Kumamoto Garrison.
Japanese: こうして多大な戦死者を出しながらも、官軍は田原坂の戦いで薩軍を圧倒し、着実に熊本鎮台救援の第一歩を踏み出した。
English: On March 24, the government army attacked Kitome again, and on 25th, put up a fenced fort in Ueki and transferred its main force of the attacking army to Kitome.
Japanese: 3月24日にも官軍は再び木留を攻撃し、3月25日には植木に柵塁を設け、攻撃の主力を木留に移した。
English: On March 30, the main force of the government army attacked the Kumamoto-tai troop on Mt. Sannotake, and on April 1, occupied Mt. Hanko and Kichij Pass.
Japanese: 3月30日、官軍主力は三ノ岳の熊本隊を攻撃し、4月1日には半高山、吉次峠を占領した。
English: On April 2, the government army also occupied Kitome, then, the Satsuma army retreated to Hetano and villages in Hetano and Kitome were burnt down.
Japanese: 4月2日、官軍は木留をも占領し、薩軍は辺田野に後退し、辺田野・木留の集落は炎上した。
English: On April 12, the Satsuma army made the last counterattack, but on April 15, it retreated toward the Jonan area from the areas of Ueki, Kitome, and Kumamoto.
Japanese: 4月12日に薩軍は最後の反撃をしたが、4月15日、植木・木留・熊本方面より撤退し、城南方面へ退いた。
English: In Torisu, a fierce battle was fought between the Satsuma army and the government army from March 10 when the Satsuma army started defending this area until April 15 when it retreated from this area.
Japanese: 鳥巣では、3月10日に薩軍がこの地の守備を始めてから4月15日に撤退するまでの間、官軍との間に熾烈な争いが繰り広げられた。
English: At dawn on March 30, two troops of Konoe Garrison invaded Waifu from two directions at first.
Japanese: まず3月30日の明け方に近衛鎮台の2隊が二手に分かれて隈府に攻め入ってきた。
English: Although the Satsuma army was disadvantageous with insufficient soldiers in the beginning, it was reinforced by the Ito-tai troop after a while and managed to drive off the government army.
Japanese: 始めは人数不足で不利な状況だった薩軍であったが、そのうち伊東隊による応援もあり、どうにか官軍を敗退させることができた。
English: On April 5, the 3rd brigade (Major General Goro MIURA) attacked Torisu and invaded the center of the position defended by the Hirano-tai troop and the Jinguji-tai troop of the Satsuma army.
Japanese: 4月5日、第三旅団（三浦梧楼少将）は鳥巣に攻撃をしかけ、薩軍の平野隊と神宮司隊が守備している真ん中に攻め入った。
English: In response to the report, the Satsuma army's Oshisuke NOMURA in Ueki led his troop to Torisu to restore the area but the battle was not decided on the day; on April 7, the battle over the area was suspended once, since the government army temporarily gave up the area to capture Koga first.
Japanese: これを聞いた薩軍の野村忍介は植木にいた隊を引き連れて鳥巣に向かい、挽回しようと奮戦するが、結局、この日一日では決着はつかず、4月7日に官軍がこの地に一旦見切りをつけ、古閑を先に攻略しようとしたことにより、一時的に休戦状態になった。
English: On the other hand, the government army had to evacuate Koga under a desperate counterattack by the Hirano-tai troop and the Shigehisa-tai troop.
Japanese: 一方古閑では、平野隊・重久隊の必死の抗戦により官軍はやむなく撤退してしまった。
English: On April 9, the Satsuma army bravely fought and drove off the government army that invaded Waifu again, but according to the judgment that it could not keep on fighting due to lack of bullets and arms, it retreated to Akahoshizaka.
Japanese: 薩軍は勇戦し、4月9日、再び隈府に攻め入った官軍を撃退したが、弾丸・武器の不足によりこれ以上の戦闘を不可能と考え、赤星坂へ撤退した。
English: From April 10 to 13, the government army started invading Torisu again; although the Satsuma army bravely fought back, it finally left there to Otsu since it run out of arms and was commanded to retreat from Torisu.
Japanese: 4月10日から4月13日にかけて官軍による鳥巣の再攻略が始まり、薩軍もこれに対して勇ましく応戦したが、いよいよ武器がつきてしまったうえに、鳥巣撤退命令が下されため、この地をあとに大津に向かった。
English: Although the Satsuma army kept the drawn-out siege of Kumamoto Castle even after it transferred the main force to the northern front, the drawn-out siege failed and the front moved to the south and east of Kumamoto Castle when Shohaigun (rear attack force) of the government army disembarked and established communications with Kumamoto Garrison.
Japanese: 薩軍の主力が北部戦線に移った後も熊本城の長囲は続けられていたが、官軍衝背軍の上陸と熊本鎮台との連絡がついたことから長囲策は破綻し、戦線は熊本城の南部東部に移った。
English: The defeat in 'the battle of Joto' fought here damaged the Satsuma army as badly as the defeat in Tabaru.
Japanese: この地でおこなわれた、いわゆる城東会戦の帰趨は、田原の敗戦にも劣らない打撃を薩軍に与えることになった。
English: The besieged army of Kumamoto Castle was helpless against the Satsuma army, which attacked the castle mainly with counterbattery activities while laying a long drawn-out siege to make the besieged army run out of the provisions and fall.
Japanese: 城中の糧食が尽きるのを待って陥落させるという長囲策を採る薩軍が対砲戦を主としたので、守城側はそれに苦しんだ。
English: They fought fiercely with bombardment and rife-shooting in a fog at close quarters so that the distance between them was a little more than 10 steps when the fog cleared.
Japanese: 霧の中、砲撃・銃撃を混じえた激戦は、霧が晴れたときには双方の距離10数歩という接近戦であった。
English: This battle was the fiercest battle in the drawn-out siege with the death toll of 221 in the government army and the death toll of 73 and 4 captives in the Satsuma army.
Japanese: この戦いは官軍死傷者221名、薩軍死者73名捕虜4名という長囲戦最大の激戦であった。
English: After the main force of the Satsuma army was transferred to north, a burden on the garrison in defending the castle was reduced; however, since the provisions that lost in the fire before the battle had not been made up enough, the garrison had a problem of food shortage and had to stretch the food out by reducing the consumption as much as possible.
Japanese: 薩軍主力が北方に転戦したため鎮台の守城負担は幾分減ったとはいえ、開戦前の出火で失った糧食の補充が充分でないため糧食不足に苦しみ、極力消費を抑えることでしのいでいた。
English: The besieging army led by IKEGAMI was as big as about 4700 strong with 21 platoons and one battery in the beginning, but reduced to 16 platoons and two batteries during the drawn-out siege, and further reduced in March when they sent reinforcements to the hard-fought battlefields at the north front including Takase, Yamaga, Tabaru, and Ueki as the battles became more violent.
Japanese: 池上率いる長囲軍は当初、21個小隊・1個砲隊、計4,700名近くもいたが、長囲策が採られると16個小隊・2個砲隊に減少し、3月になって高瀬・山鹿・田原・植木等の北部戦線が激戦化するにつれ、増援部隊を激戦地に派遣してさらに減少した。
English: Consequently, it was hard for the besieging army to completely invest the large Kumamoto Castle with exceedingly few soldiers.
Japanese: そのために長囲軍は寡少の兵で巨大な熊本城を全面包囲することに苦しんだ。
English: On March 26, in the Satsuma army with the reduced besieging army, KIRINO adopted an advice from the Kumamoto-tai troop and dammed up the Tsuboi-gawa River and Iseri-gawa River with stony embankments to flow the land surrounding the castle.
Japanese: 長囲軍が減少した薩軍は、桐野が熊本隊の建策を入れて、3月26日、石塘堰止を実行し、坪井川・井芹川の水を城の周囲に引き込んだ。
English: That tactics allowed the Satsuma army to save the several hundreds of soldiers besieging the northeastern and western areas of the castle, but it turned out to be more advantageous to the garrison because it could saved the soldiers defending the west part of the castle.
Japanese: この策によって薩軍は城の東北及び西部を守る兵を数百名節約できたのであるが、鎮台にとっては城の西部を守る兵が節約できたので、さらに好都合であった。
English: On February 27 when the main force of the Satsuma army was transferred to the north front, Kumamoto Garrison started to make a sortie.
Japanese: 熊本鎮台の城外出撃は薩軍主力が北部戦線に移動した2月27日から始まった。
English: On March 26, the reconnaissance party heard gunfire echoes from the Ueki area but could not find the punitive army, then, it divided the rear guard harassing company into three units and send them out to Kyomachiguchi, Iseri Village, and Honmyo-ji Temple, respectively.
Japanese: 3月26日、植木方面で銃声を聞くが征討軍が現れないので、後方攪乱部隊を3隊に分け、京町口・井芹村・本妙寺に出撃させた。
English: Since the garrison had been besieged as long as 40 days and was running short of the provisions and ammunition, it decided to make a sortie to Kawajiri, a southern area, in order to establish communications with the punitive force before it would have been completely exhausted.
Japanese: 籠城が40日にもなり、糧食・弾薬が欠乏してきた鎮台は余力があるうちに征討軍との連絡を開こうとして、南方の川尻方面に出撃することにした。
English: On April 8, the garrison was divided into three groups of the Totsui-tai troop led by Major Yasukata OKU, the Shinshu-tai troop led by Captain OGAWA, and Reserve, and sortied.
Japanese: 隊を奥保鞏少佐率いる突囲隊、小川大尉率いる侵襲隊、及び予備隊の3つに分け、4月8日に出撃した。
English: While the Shinshu-tai troop was storming the Yasumi-bashi Bridge, the Totsui-tai troop advanced through Suizenji, Nakamuta, Kengun, Kumanosho to Uto where it made contact with Shohaigun.
Japanese: 侵襲隊が安巳橋を急襲し、戦っている間に突囲隊は前進し、水前寺・中牟田・健軍・隈庄を経て宇土の衝背軍と連絡した。
English: On the other hand, the Shinshu-tai troop looted 720 bales of rice and 100 rifles by taking advantage of confusion in the Satsuma army.
Japanese: 一方、侵襲隊は薩軍の混乱に乗じて九品寺にある米720俵・小銃100挺などを奪って引き揚げた。
English: Since the battle in Takase in February, the force of the government army advancing south had not made any outstanding achievement.
Japanese: 官軍南下軍は2月の高瀬の戦い以来目立った成果を収めることができずにいた。
English: Then, according to an advice from Colonel TAKASHIMA, it was decided to dispatch a troop on missions of making contact with Kumamoto Garrison, destroying the line of communications of the Satsuma army between Kagoshima and Kumamoto, and making a pincer attack against the Satsuma army on both sides.
Japanese: そこで高島大佐の建議により、熊本鎮台との連絡をとること、薩軍の鹿児島と熊本間の補給・連絡を遮断すること、薩軍を腹背から挟撃すること等の企図を持った軍が派遣されることになった。
English: On March 18, the 1st unit of Shohaigun, which was the detached 2nd brigade (later, renamed detached 1st brigade) led by Colonel Tomonosuke TAKASHIMA (later Major General), left Nagasaki toward Yatsushiro.
Japanese: 最初の衝背軍は3月18日、長崎を出発して八代に向かった高島鞆之助大佐（後に少将）率いる別働第2旅団（後に別働第1旅団に改称）であった。
English: On March 19, that brigade disembarked at the rear of Sugu, which was south to Hinagu, and at the rear of Yatsushiro, covered by naval bombardment, and succeeded in occupying Yatsushiro by attacking the Satsuma army on both sides.
Japanese: この旅団は3月19日、艦砲射撃に援護されて日奈久南方の州口及び八代の背後に上陸し、薩軍を二面から攻撃して八代の占領に成功した。
English: On February 20, one and a half battalions led by Sangun Kiyotaka KURODA and the Keishi-tai troop of more than 500 strong disembarked at Hinagu.
Japanese: 20日には黒田清隆参軍率いる1箇大隊半と警視隊500名余が日奈久に上陸した。
English: The Satsuma army could not effectively prevent the disembarkation even though it deployed the 1st platoon of the 2nd battalion at Hinagu, the 5th platoon of the 2nd battalion at Kamezaki, which was southwest to Matsuzaki, and the 6th platoon of the 2nd battalion at Shirahama, which was northwest to Kumamoto.
Japanese: 薩軍では二番大隊一番小隊が日奈久、二番大隊五番小隊が松崎西南の亀崎、二番大隊六番小隊が熊本西北の白浜で海岸警備をしていたが、なんら効果的な防御ができなかった。
English: In response to the report of disembarkation of the government army at Yatsushiro, the Satsuma army dispatched five companies led by Commander of the 3rd battalion Yaichiro NAGAYAMA, Miyakonojo troop, and the 2nd battery from the besieging army at Kumamoto Castle.
Japanese: 官軍の八代上陸の報を得た薩軍は、熊本長囲軍の一部を割き、三番大隊指揮長永山弥一郎率いる5箇中隊・都城隊・二番砲隊を八代に派遣した。
English: On March 20, the advance party of the Satsuma army and the government army led by Colonel TAKASHIMA fiercely fought across the Hikawa River, and the Satsuma army advanced to the opposite bank.
Japanese: 3月20日、薩軍先遣隊と高島大佐率いる官軍は氷川を挟んで激戦し、薩軍は対岸に進出した。
English: On February 21, the reinforced government army fought back and drove off the Satsuma army to the Suna-gawa River.
Japanese: しかし、翌21日には増援を得た官軍が押し返し、薩軍を砂川に退却させた。
English: The battle between the reinforced Satsuma army and the government army continued through 24th and 25th without being decided.
Japanese: 増援を得た薩軍と官軍の戦闘は24、25日と続き、戦況は一進一退した。
English: On March 24, the detached 2nd brigade (led by Major General Yamada), having started from Nagasaki, landed at Yatsushiro, and the detached 3rd brigade (led by Major General Kawaji) also landed there in the afternoon of March 25.
Japanese: 3月24日、長崎を出発した別働第2旅団（山田少将）・別働第3旅団（川路少将）は25日午後、八代に上陸した。
English: On this occasion, the name of each brigade was changed, but was altered again as follows later, on March 29:
Japanese: このとき一旦各旅団の名称が改められたが、後29日に再び改称されて次のようになった。
English: On March 26, Sangun Kuroda deployed the detached 1st brigade in the left flank, the detached 2nd brigade in the center, and the Keishi-tai troop in the right flank, and attacked the Satsuma army in the Kogawa area from the three directions under cover of naval bombardment and seized Kogawa by driving back the Satsuma army after a fierce battle.
Japanese: 3月26日、黒田参軍は別働第1旅団を左翼、別働第2旅団を中央、警視隊を右翼に配し、艦砲射撃の援護のもと三方から小川方面の薩軍を攻撃し、激戦の末、薩軍を撃退して小川を占領した。
English: In this battle, Yaichiro NAGAYAMA, a brave general of the Satsuma army, encouraged his warriors through the following appeal but could not change the battle situation to their advantage: 'Why are you so cowardly?; If we allowed the enemy to seize this place, how the soldiers stationed outside Kumamoto Castle would become?; Only what is important is to defend this place to the last; It is for that achievement that you are to be praised as a good warrior, if alive, or a loyal retainer, if dead; Fight desperately until all of our weapons are used up' (according to "Satsunan Ketsurui-shi" (the history of Satsunan full of blood and tears)).
Japanese: この時、薩軍の猛将永山弥一郎は「諸君何ぞ斯（かく）の如く怯なる、若し敵をして此地を奪はしめんか、熊本城外の我守兵を如何にせん、大事之に因て去らんのみ、生きて善士と称し、死して忠臣と称せらるゝは唯此時にあり、各死力を尽し刀折れ矢竭（つ）き而して後已（やまん）」（『薩南血涙史』）と激励したが、戦況を逆転することはできなかった。
English: On March 30, Sangun Kuroda made the detached 3rd brigade attack Shabashinrei, and made the detached 1st brigade and the detached 2nd brigade attack Matsubase.
Japanese: 3月30日、黒田参軍は別働第3旅団に娑婆神嶺、別働第1旅団・別働第2旅団に松橋を攻撃させた。
English: The detached 3rd brigade seized Shabashinrei, and the detached 1st brigade and the detached 2nd brigade advanced to the line of Onogawa.
Japanese: 別働第3旅団は娑婆神嶺を占領、別働第1旅団と別働第2旅団は大野川の線まで前進した。
English: On the next day, the detached 2nd brigade and the detached 3rd brigade attacked Matsubase from both sides of Yamashiro and the main road, and the detached 1st brigade advanced to Mifune from Kitatoyozaki, attacking the right side of the Satsuma army.
Japanese: 翌日、別働第2および第3旅団は山背と本道の両面から松橋を攻撃し、別働第1旅団は北豊崎から御船に進み、薩軍の右側を攻撃した。
English: On April 3, the Satsuma army raided the detached 3rd brigade under the cover of fog in the early morning, but the brigade drove back the Satsuma army after a five-hour fierce battle, chased it across the Midori-kawa River, attacked the back side and the flank of the Satsuma army, and seized Kosa after further advancement.
Japanese: 3日、早朝の霧に乗じた薩軍の急襲を別働第3旅団は激闘5時間の末、これを退け、追撃して緑川を越えて薩軍の側背を衝き、進んで甲佐を占領した。
English: On April 7, reinforced by the detached 1st brigade and the 4th brigade, the detached 2nd brigade pushed back the Satsuma army, which had advanced to the left bank of the Midori-kawa River to the right bank of the river.
Japanese: 7日には緑川左岸に進出している薩軍を別働第2旅団が別働第1および第4旅団の援護を得て右岸に押し返した。
English: The 2nd and the 4th brigades attacked the Satsuma army, which had raided Mt. Kihara, from both sides, making the Satsuma army retreat to Kawajiri.
Japanese: また第2および第4旅団は木原山急襲の薩軍を挟撃して川尻に敗走させた。
English: On this occasion, though having been injured, Yaichiro NAGAYAMA rushed to the site by rickshaw from the headquarters at Nihongi, and, sitting on a sake barrel, spurred the Satsuma army soldiers who took to flight.
Japanese: この時、負傷を推して二本木本営から人力車で駆けつけた永山弥一郎は酒樽に腰掛け、敗走する薩軍兵士を叱咤激励していた。
English: However, judging that it was impossible to reverse the disadvantageous state, he bought a private house, set fire to it and committed ritual suicide by disembowelment, accepting the situation.
Japanese: しかし、挽回不能と見て、民家を買い取り、火を放ち、従容として切腹した。
English: On April 12, the detached 2nd brigade was intercepted by fierce fire from the Satsuma army at the Shin-kawa River bank and the 4th brigade was also intercepted.
Japanese: 同12日、別働第2旅団は新川堤で薩軍の猛射に阻まれ、第4旅団も進撃を阻止された。
English: On April 13, the next day, the detached 2nd brigade and the detached 4th brigade advanced towards Kawajiri in cooperation with each other.
Japanese: 翌13日、別働第2旅団と別働第四旅団は連繋しながら川尻目指して進撃した。
English: While part of the detached 4th brigade was attacking Gakkanitta to keep the Satsuma army in check, its main force crossed the Midori-kawa River and advanced towards Kawajiri by fighting fiercely with the Satsuma army.
Japanese: 別働第4旅団の一部が学科新田を攻撃して薩軍を牽制している間に、主力が緑川を渡り、薩軍と激戦しながら川尻へと進んだ。
English: The detached 4th brigade and the 2nd brigade advanced to Kawajiri, and at last, seized there by attacking the Satsuma army from both sides and made them run.
Japanese: 川尻に向かった別働第4旅団と第2旅団は両面から薩軍を攻撃して退け、遂に川尻を占領した。
English: At the sight of the troops on his side charging into Kawajiri, YAMAKAWA made a snap decision that he must not miss the opportunity, divided his soldiers and led the pick of the troops by himself and rushed towards Kumamoto Castle, and entered the castle town.
Japanese: しかしながら、友軍の川尻突入を見て、機逸すべからずと考え、兵を分けて、自ら撰抜隊を率いて熊本城目指して突入し、遂に城下に達した。
English: The persons in the castle were pleased feeling that they were brought back to life, but it is said that Lieutenant Colonel YAMAKAWA was later reprimanded for the arbitrary decision and execution that ignored the military strategy.
Japanese: 城中皆蘇生した思いで喜んだが、後に山川中佐は作戦を無視した独断専行を譴責されたといわれる。
English: Around this time, the military force of the Satsuma army became insufficient due to the battle intensified in the Tabaru area.
Japanese: このころ、薩軍は田原方面での戦闘の激化に伴って兵力が不足してきていた。
English: Therefore, according to Kirino's order, Gunpei FUCHIBE, Shinsuke BEPPU, and HENMI returned to Kagoshima and recruited new soldiers.
Japanese: そのため、桐野の命で淵辺群平・別府晋介・辺見らが鹿児島に戻って新たな兵力の徴集にあたった。
English: However, since the government army landed in Yatsushiro and closed in on Kawajiri from Uto, these soldiers could not join the Satsuma army in Kumamoto.
Japanese: しかしながら、官軍が八代に上陸し、宇土から川尻へと迫っていたため、この兵力は熊本にいる薩軍との合流ができなかった。
English: Therefore, the strategy of isolating the government army by cutting off the retreat was taken and the recruits went southward from Hitoyoshi to attack the rear of the government army that were advancing from Yatsushiro to Kumamoto.
Japanese: よって、この部隊は人吉から下って、八代から熊本へ進軍中の官軍を背後から攻撃し、退路を断って孤立させるという作戦のもとで行動することになった。
English: On April 4, coming from Hitoyoshi to the southern suburbs of Yatsushiro along the Kuma-gawa River on land or on boats, the Satsuma army attacked and defeated the government army in Sakamoto Village, and subsequently won battles on the 5th and 6th of the month, closing in on Yatsushiro.
Japanese: 4月4日、人吉から球磨川に沿い、或いは舟で下って八代南郊に出た薩軍は、まず坂本村の官軍を攻撃して敗走させたのを皮切りとして、5、6日と勝利を収め、八代に迫った。
English: However, counterattacked by the government army on the 7th and 8th of the month, the Satsuma army could not reach Yatsushiro and pushed back to the vicinity of Sakamoto Village.
Japanese: しかしながら、7、8日の官軍の反撃によって八代に至ることができず、再び坂本付近まで押し戻された。
English: However, after the government army was reinforced on April 13, both forces did not retreat and the situation remained unchanged until around April 17.
Japanese: しかしながら、13日に官軍に援軍が投入され、薩軍・官軍ともに引かず、4月17日までこの状態が続いた。
English: In the fight at the Hagiwara bank in this battle, Hachiro MIYAZAKI of the combined troop was killed and Shinsuke BEPPU had his legs injured seriously.
Japanese: この間の萩原堤での戦いのとき協同隊の宮崎八郎が戦死し、別府晋介が足に重傷を負った。
English: On April 14, Toshiaki KIRINO moved the headquarters from Nihongi to Kiyama, responding to a proposal by Kichijuro IKEBE, Battalion Commander of the Kumamoto-tai troop.
Japanese: 桐野利秋は4月14日、熊本隊大隊長池辺吉十郎の建議により、二本木の本営を木山に移した。
English: At the same time, KIRINO dispatched an express messengers to Takehiko NAKAJIMA at Kanokogi and to Oshisuke NOMURA at Tosu to inform them of the defeat at Kawajiri and to command them to move their soldiers to Kiyama properly.
Japanese: 同時に鹿子木の中島健彦、鳥巣の野村忍介に急使を送って川尻の敗戦を報せ、適宜兵を木山に引き揚げるように伝えた。
English: On April 17 when troops of the Satsuma army retreated from Kumamoto Castle and Ueki one after another, KIRINO and others decided to establish a new 20-km plus line of defense from the right flank in Otsu, Nagamine, Hotakubo and Kengun to the left flank in Mifune with the headquarters in Kiyama at the center to make a stand against the government army that was coming towards the south and to annihilate the government army.
Japanese: 薩軍諸隊が熊本城・植木から逐次撤退してきた4月17日、桐野らは本営木山を中心に、右翼は大津・長嶺・保田窪・健軍、左翼は御船に亘る20km余りの新たな防衛線を築き、ここで南下する官軍を迎え撃ち、官軍を全滅させる作戦をとることにした。
English: On this occasion, the troops stationed from north to south of Hirano in Higo Province surrounding Kiyama (in Mashiki Town), where the headquarters were placed, was deployed as below:
Japanese: この時に薩軍が本営の木山（益城町）を囲む形で肥後平野の北から南に部署した諸隊は以下のような配置をしていた。
English: For this, the government army deployed brigades as follows in a military meeting held by Sangun YAMAGATA in Kumamoto Castle:
Japanese: 対する官軍も、山県参軍らが熊本城でおこなった軍議で各旅団を次のように部署した。
English: At the dawn of April 20, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd brigades advanced to the Otsu Highway in cooperation, but the troops led by Nomura fought back the advancement successfully until the sunset.
Japanese: 4月20日黎明、第1・第2・第3旅団は連繋して大津街道に進撃したが、野村の諸隊は奮戦してこれを防ぎ、そのまま日没に及んだ。
English: On April 19, the Kumamoto Garrison, the detached 5th brigade and the detached 2nd brigade attacked in cooperation the Nobeoka-tai troop in the Kengun area.
Japanese: 4月19日、熊本鎮台・別働第5旅団・別働第2旅団は連繋して健軍地区の延岡隊を攻めた。
English: Although having reinforcements from the detached 1st brigade, the war situation did not change for the better for the government army.
Japanese: 官軍は別働第1旅団からの援軍を得たが、苦戦をいかんともしがったかった。
English: Asked for and had more reinforcements, the government army barely managed to take two forts of the Satsuma army, but the situation remained still advantageous to the Satsuma army at sunset.
Japanese: 官軍はさらに援軍を仰いでやっとのことで薩軍の2塁を奪ったが、薩軍優位のまま日没になった。
English: At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the government army concentrated their firepower to break through the vanguard of the Satsuma army, closing in on the rear guard, but had its left flank fought back and routed by the Satsuma army led by Nakajima.
Japanese: 午後3時には猛烈な火力を集中して薩軍の先陣を突破して後陣に迫ったが、中島が指揮する薩軍の逆襲で左翼部隊が総崩れとなった。
English: As a result, communications between the detached 5th brigade and Kumamoto Garrison was not recovered even at nightfall.
Japanese: この結果、別働第5旅団と熊本鎮台の連絡は夜になっても絶たれたままになった。
English: Kijima in the Nagamine area pushed forward Batto-tai troop so bravely that they were likely to break through the left flank of the detached 5th brigade and invade Kumamoto Castle.
Japanese: 長嶺地区の貴島は抜刀隊を率いて勇進し、別働第五旅団の左翼を突破して熊本城へ突入する勢いを見せた。
English: Upon receiving a report from Yajiro SHINAGAWA, Chief Secretary, that the progress of the battle was disadvantageous to the government army and a report from Major General Iwao OYAMA that Satsuma army might storm into Kumamoto, Sangun YAMAGATA in Kumamoto Castle hastily sent the 4th brigade, which was a reserve troop stationed in Kumamoto Castle, to the battle line.
Japanese: 熊本城にいた山県参軍は品川弥二郎大書記官からの官軍苦戦の報告と大山巌少将からの薩軍が熊本に突出する虞れがあるとの報告を聞き、急遽熊本城にあった予備隊第4旅団を戦線に投入するありさまであった。
English: As the government army moved from Mifune to Kumamoto, the troops led by Sakamoto advanced to Mifune in the area that constituted the left-most flank of the Satsuma army.
Japanese: 薩軍最左翼の御船へは坂元指揮の諸隊が熊本に入った官軍と入れ替わる形で進駐していた。
English: However, being unable to withstand the subsequent enveloping attack by the detached 1st, 2nd, and 3rd brigades from the west, south, and east sides, the troops retreated from Mifune.
Japanese: しかしながら、それに続く別働第1・第2・第3旅団の西・南・東からの包囲攻撃には堪えきれず、御船から敗れ去った。
English: In this way, the clash between both forces started with the attack that the government army launched on the Satsuma army on April 19 and 20, and spread quickly to the entire Kumamoto plain.
Japanese: このように両軍の衝突は4月19、20日に官軍が薩軍に攻撃を仕掛けたことから始まり、戦いは一挙に熊本平野全域に及んだ。