After the Battle of Ugeumchi, Jeon Bong-jun and his remaining forces retreated to Nonsan to rendezvous with Kim Gae-nam and the other Donghak peasants who were defeated by government and Japanese troops. Several battles took place where the Donghak Peasant Army fought against the allied forces of the Joseon Army and the Imperial Japanese Army who were in pursuit of them. The alliance defeated them and the Donghak Peasant Army retreated to Jeonju Fortress which they abandoned for Wonpyeong and Taein to make their final resistance. The Battle of Taein was the most prominent battle during their retreat where after their defeat, Jeon Bong-jun disbanded the Donghak Peasant Army, marking the end of the Donghak Peasant Revolution.
Retreat to Nonsan Jeon Bong-jun, after the defeat at Ugeumchi withdrew to Gyeongcheon, reorganized his forces, and prepared a counterattack for the assault on Gongju. However, the losses at Ugeumchi were too great, forcing him to abandon the counterattack and decide to retreat to Nonsan after a day's rest. On the 13th, Jeon Bong-jun descended to Nonseong through a banner and stationed his troops on Bonghwasan in Yeoju County. The army had about 2,500 soldiers. While staying in Nonseong, the Donghak Peasant Army attempted to regroup and recover its formation. They issued a mild letter called the "Gosimun" written in Hangul, through Dongdochang's name, on November 12, to inform the military, civilians, and scholars about their determination to repel foreign forces and achieve peace.
Battle of Nonsan The Donghak Peasant Army, consisting of Jeon Bong-jun and Kim Gae-nam's forces, faced attacks from pursuing government and Japanese forces at various locations in Nonsan such as Yeonsan, Daemuryeong, Mt. Soto in Eunjin, and Hwanghwadae.
Battle of Yeonsan While regrouping the Donghak Peasant Army in Nonsan, rumors spread that the Japanese Army had entered Yeonsan, which is adjacent to Nonsan in the east. Although the Donghak Peasant Army had retreated from Gongju, they planned to repel the Japanese Army in Yeonsan after reorganizing. Yeonsan was an important strategic point located on the road from Nonsan to Boeun. With Son Byeong-hui's Hoseo Donghak Army, which had suffered relatively less damage, as the core force, the Donghak Peasant Army united with the Honam Donghak Army and headed towards Yeonsan.
The Japanese Army that entered Yeonsan was the Churobunjin-dae, a reserve infantry unit belonging to the 19th Reserve Infantry Regiment that was dispatched from Japan for the extermination of the Donghak Army. The Churobunjin-dae was commanded by Lieutenant Minami Sojo, the deputy commander of the 19th Reserve Infantry Regiment. They were engaged in battles with the Donghak Peasant Army in Mungyeong and Jeungsan, and could not participate in the Battle of Ugeumchi. Minami changed his course in Okcheon and arrived in Yeonsan via Geumsan and Jinsan. The intention was to attack the Donghak Peasant Army from the rear together with Moriō, who had stationed in Gongju and defeat the Donghak Peasant Army. Kim Gaenam's Donghak Peasant Army regrouped in Jinjam after the defeat in the Battle of Cheongju on November 13, and engaged in a battle with the Japanese and Government Army in Yeonsan at around 11 a.m. on the 14th. The troops under Jeon Bong-jun, who were stationed on Mount Bonghwa in Nohseong, moved to Nonsan on the afternoon of the 14th.
On the afternoon of the 14th, the battle began when the Japanese Army entered the eastern district of Yeonsan and encountered thousands of Donghak Peasant Army members gathered at the fortress. The contents of the Battle of Yeonsan are recorded as follows in the "Yakryeok" by Im Dong-ho:
They climbed up the mountains surrounding the town, holding hundreds of flags to signal the positions of cannons, and drove the Japanese Army towards Yeonsan-eup. The Donghak Peasant Army occupied Hwangsanseong, a strategic point at an elevation of 264 meters northwest of Yeonsan-eup. Hwangsanseong overlooked the plains of Yeonsan and Nonsan, making it a crucial strategic location. The Donghak Peasant Army fired upon the Japanese Army from Hwangsanseong.
Minami Sojo, who had entered Yeonsan overwhelmed by the rebels, divided his troops into two directions. One platoon, led by Soi Myebara, attacked the enemy from the front mountain, while other units were assigned to the left, right, and rear. At noon, Minami ordered two platoons to attack the enemy's rear, and they launched a joint attack from both sides around 2 a.m. The startled Donghak Peasant Army resisted the Japanese forces persistently until 4:40 p.m. Despite being pressed by the tactics and weapons of the Japanese army, the Donghak Peasant Army evacuated Hwangsanseong at 5 p.m. and retreated towards Noseong, Eun-jin, and Nonsan.
Kim Soon-gap, who led the Donghak Peasant Army from Hwangsanseong in Yeonsan, was captured alive. Kim Soon-gap, around 40 years old, held the position of commander appointed by Jeon Bong-jun as the vanguard. According to the Japanese army's battle report, the Donghak Peasant Army suffered significant casualties, with 50 deaths and an unknown number of injuries. The Osaka Shinbun, published in Japan, reported that hundreds of Donghak Peasant Army members had died. The records of the Donghak Peasant Army massacre in the Japanese military battle reports were intentionally minimized. Based on subsequent records indicating that Kim Soon-gap died in battle, it is presumed that he was executed shortly after his capture. In this battle, one Japanese soldier was killed, making him the first casualty of the Japanese army in the numerous battles with the Donghak Peasant Army since the landing of the 19th Reserve Infantry Regiment in Incheon. Although the Japanese army massacred the Donghak Peasant Army countless times, the number of casualties on the Donghak side was relatively small.
Nonseong Massacre Immediately after the Battle of Yeonsan, the Japanese army, along with the 19th Infantry Battalion's pursuit unit, the Metropolitan Guards (Tongwiyeong), and Royal Escort Palace Guard detachments pursued the Donghak Peasant Army as they retreated to Nonsan. This pursuit battle was carried out at the urging of Chungcheong Governor Park Je-sun, who relayed the information gathered by the reconnaissance team on November 14 to Major Morio of the Japanese army. According to the report from the reconnaissance team, "Jeon Bong-jun's forces are stationed near Noseong, showing signs of preparing to attack Gongju." Upon receiving this information, Major Morio led a Japanese platoon and 200 soldiers from the Metropolitan Guards to pursue the Donghak Peasant Army towards Noseong, but the Donghak Peasant Army had already moved to Nonsan.
The Royal Escort Palace Guards (Jangwiyeong) detachment and Japanese army, led by Yi Du-hwang, and Yi Gyu-tae, pursued and attacked the retreating Hyukmyeong Army. The Donghak peasants, who repeatedly retreated, began to be ruthlessly massacred by the Japanese and government forces. Jeon Bong-jun and Son Byeong-hui appealed for cooperation between the Donghak Army and the government forces to drive out the Japanese army, but their request was rejected. The "Sunmu Advance Vanguard Registration" record states, "They scattered in all directions and were pursued and arrested, and as each unit arrested them, they were mostly executed." It describes the situation at the time. Meanwhile, the main forces of the Japanese army and the Metropolitan Guards proceeded directly from Yeonsan to Nonsan, towards Mt. Soto, where the Donghak Peasant Army was stationed.
Ambush at Mt. Soto The peasant army stationed at Mt. Soto, was ambushed by the Japanese army and government forces. The Metropolitan Guard detachment attacked the right side of Mt. Soto, while the Japanese army launched attacks from the front and left. The surprise attack, which began at 2 p.m., lasted for an hour and a half, during which the Donghak Peasant Army fought back but eventually retreated to the Hwanghwadae.
Battle of Hwanghandae Hwanghwadae stood alone in the middle of a vast courtyard, surrounded by dense mountain slopes, with a flat and wide peak in the center. It was naturally fortified, resembling a strong fortress enclosed by cliffs on all sides. However, despite this advantageous terrain, the Donghak Peasant Army could not withstand the attacks led by Major Morio. Morio divided his forces into three sides, attacking from all directions, confusing the Donghak Peasant Army. Then, the main force of the Japanese army attacked from the front and climbed up to Hwanghwadae. The Donghak Peasant Army, who had been staunchly resisting the frontal assault of the Japanese army, lost morale when about 20 rebels fell in battle. Around 4 p.m., they were rescued by Kim Gae-nam's peasant army. Jeon Bong-jun issued a retreat order, and the Donghak Peasant Army scattered and retreated southward into Jeolla Province and joined forces in Jeonju. Some attempted to escape with resistance but fell into a trap set by the Minbo Army. Yi Gyu-tae, who stood at the vanguard, reported, "We advanced along Route 3 and ambushed the Donghak Army under Mt. Noseong and pursued them to Nonsan-Daechon. We then sent Yun Seon-yeong to Eunjin Hwanghwadae, where we killed around 300 bandits."
Evacuation to Wonpyeong After the defeat in the Battle of Nonsan, the Donghak Peasant Army was crumbling before the superior weapons of the Japanese army and government forces. Kim Gae-nam and Jeon Bong-jun joined forces in Nonsan on the night of the 14th. In Nonsan, the units of Jeon Bong-jun and Kim Gae-nam, as well as Son Byeong-hui's unit, gathered together. Before Kim Gae-nam's unit joined, the peasant army had diminished to about 2,500 members from the initial 10,000 to 40,000 during the Battle of Ugeumchi on the 14th. After Kim Gae-nam's arrival on the 15th, the number increased to about 3,000. The peasant army under Kim Gae-nam, which had reached around 8,000 members when advancing northward from Namwon, had dwindled to only about 500 members. Leading about 1,000 peasants, Jeon Bong-jun, Son Byeong-hui, and Kim Gae-nam retreated to Jeolla on November 18 and arrived at Jeonju Fortress on November 19. They attempted to resist based on Jeonju Fortress, however, due to insufficient provisions, they left Jeonju Castle on the night of November 22 and moved to Geumgu Wonpyeong. The Donghak Peasant Army reorganized its forces starting from the 23rd. Jeon Bong-jun and Kim Gae-nam acted together until Jeonju, where they gathered the dispersed peasant army and prepared for the final resistance. They left Jeonju on the 23rd, with Jeon Bong-jun's unit heading towards Gobu, Geumgu, and Taein, and Kim Gae-nam's unit heading towards Namwon. Jeon Bong-jun's unit consisted of at least 6,000 to 7,000 members. The peasant army led by Jeon Bong-jun arrived at Wonpyeong on the 25th and set up camp.
Wonpyeong was a stronghold of Kim Deok-myeong, a major figure in the Donghak movement in Honam. Wonpyeong was a base for the Donghak movement in Honam to the extent that Donghak followers from Jeolla Province gathered and held rallies when the Gyojo Shinwon Movement unfolded in Boeun. In front of Gumiran Village, where the Donghak Peasant Army stayed, the Wonpyeong River flowed, and Wonpyeongjang was a key transportation point where local goods were concentrated. Jeon Bong-jun and Son Byeong-hui, who joined from Nonsan, accompanied the Donghak Peasant Army to Wonpyeong. When the Donghak Peasant Army, which had reached a strength of 30,000 with the combined forces of Honam and Hoseo, entered Jeonju, it consisted of only 500 people due to repeated defeats. However, after gathering in Wonpyeong, the Donghak Peasant Army in the Honam region grew from a few thousand to 10,000 people. Nevertheless, the morale of the Donghak Peasant Army was not very high due to successive defeats.
Battle of Wonpyeong