- Hayashi Gonsuke
in 1862, he went to Kyoto at the start of Lord
Matsudaira Katamori 's tenure asKyoto Shugoshoku . Fighting at the various skirmishes in the 1860s, he most notably fought alongsideShinsengumi againstMaki Izumi 's force at Tennozan. Commanding Aizu artillery forces at theBattle of Toba-Fushimi , Gonsuke fought against overwhelming odds, coming under heavy fire while inadequately supported by spearmen instead of rifle infantry. Grabbing a long spear, he charged the enemy infantry but was shot repeatedly. Evacuated from the battlefield, he was placed on a Shogunate warship, and died at sea, en route toEdo . His age at death was 63.Gonsuke's ancestor Matazaburō was famous for having served under
Torii Mototada and died at the Battle of Fushimi Castle. On the other hand, Gonsuke's grandson and namesake, Hayashi Gonsuke, was a prominent figure in the Japanese annexation of Korea (see here for more information).References
*Fukushima Hiroshi. "Bakumatsu Ishin: Yume no Ato Kikō". Tokyo: Kyōiku Shoseki, 1990.
*Yamakawa Kenjirō. "Hōshu Aizu Byakkōtai Jūkyūshi-den". Aizu-Wakamatsu: Aizu Chōrei Gikai, 1926.
*Yamakawa Kenjirō. "Aizu Boshin Senshi". Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai, 1933.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.