Konida (小荷駄)
Konida refers to dachin umakasegi (a job of carrying by daba, packhorse or cow) or vehicles that carry army provisions, ammunition, set-up tools for encampment and so on needed for wars from the medieval period to modern times in Japan, or a troop that directed the above things, also referred to as konidatai. It corresponds to a troop that transports military goods in modern age.
Summary
Principally, laborers (servicemen) guarded by fifty to a hundred ashigaru (common foot soldiers) who are all directed by hyoro bugyo (food supply administrator) carried goods on packhorses or vehicles. Konida was positioned in the back of the troop during advance and in the front during retreat.
In the medieval period, soldiers were basically supposed to carry hyoro by themselves, but at the front, they took along only a few days worth of it and got konida to carry the rest, because the term was unpredictable and the heavy stuff could prevent their military action. In principle, shugo (provincial constable) had a right to press packhorses and servicemen used for konida, and so did warring lords, but actually it was konidabugyo (the commissioner of rear-echelon support troops) who was the decision maker.
In modern times, accepting konida's impressment was considered the obligation of the people of the domain, and impressment was conducted according to kokudaka (yield) in each village. Because of this, soldiers were released from the obligation of taking along hyoro.