The breakout troop consisted of 300 to 500 elite soldiers, and the advance guard were led by Shuichiro KONO and Jurota HENMI, the middle force by Kirino and Shinpachi MURATA, and the rear guard by Takehiko NAKAJIMA and Kiyoshi KIJIMA, and Ikegami and Beppu led about 60 soldiers to guard Saigo.
突囲軍は精鋭300～500名で、前軍は河野主一郎・辺見十郎太、中軍は桐野・村田新八、後軍は中島健彦・貴島清が率い、池上と別府が約60名を率いて西郷を警護した。