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.
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。