Battle of Shiroyama

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Shiroyama
城山の戦い
partof=the Satsuma rebellion


Japanese depiction of the Battle of Shiroyama. Saigō Takamori can be seen in red and black uniform directing his troops in the upper right corner.
date=1877-09-24
place=Kagoshima, Japan
result=Decisive victory for the Imperial Army, which ended the Satsuma Rebellion
combatant1=Imperial Japanese Army
combatant2=Samurai of Satsuma
commander1=Yamagata Aritomo
commander2=Saigō Takamori†
strength1=300,000 troops
strength2=350-400 samurai
casualties1=unknown
casualties2=350 (Approximate)The nihongo|Battle of Shiroyama|城山の戦い|Shiroyama no tatakai took place on 1877-09-24, in Kagoshima, Japan. It was the final battle of the Satsuma rebellion.

ummary

Following defeat at the Siege of Kumamoto castle and in other battles in central Kyūshū, the surviving remnants of the "samurai" forces loyal to Saigō Takamori fled back to Satsuma, seizing the hill of Shiroyama overlooking Kagoshima on 1877-09-01.

Imperial army troops under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo and marines under the command of Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi began arriving soon after, and the rebels were surrounded. After combat losses and defections, Saigō had only 300-400 "samurai" remaining of a force of over 20,000 which had besieged the government garrison in the city of Kumamoto only six weeks earlier.

With 300,000 troops, Yamagata outnumbered Saigō 750-to-1, at least. Having been outfought and outmaneuvered so often in the past, however, Yamagata was determined to leave nothing to chance. The imperial troops spent several days constructing an elaborate system of ditches, walls and obstacles to prevent another breakout. The five government warships in Kagoshima harbor added their firepower to Yamagata's artillery, and began to systematically reduce the rebel positions, firing more than 7,000 shells.

Saigō defended his position with limited musket support, and no cannon. Saigō's force was reduced to melting down Buddhist statues pilfered from temples and casting the metal into bullets. Yamagata sent a letter to Saigō, which entreated him to surrender, but "bushido" honor would not let Saigō surrender.

Yamagata's battle plan was to assault Saigo's position from all sides at once. Units were forbidden to assist one another without express permission. If a unit retreated with enemy troops in pursuit, the neighboring units were to fire into the area indiscriminately, killing their own men if necessary to prevent Saigō from escaping.

Following an intensive artillery bombardment the night of September 24, imperial forces stormed the mountain in the early morning hours. The "samurai", under heavy fire, charged the lines of the imperial army, which had not been trained for close-quarter swordfighting. In just a few minutes the once organized line turned into discord. Highly skilled "samurai" swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. For a short time Saigō's lines held, but was forced back due to weight of numbers. By 6 a.m., only 40 rebels were still alive. Saigō was wounded in the femoral artery and stomach. Losing blood rapidly, he asked to find a suitable spot to die. One of his most loyal followers, Beppu Shinsuke, carried him farther down the hill on his shoulders. Legend says that Beppu acted as "kaishakunin" and aided Saigō in committing "seppuku" before he could be captured. However, other evidence contradicts this, stating that Saigō in fact died of the bullet wound and then had his head removed by Beppu in order to preserve his dignity.After Saigo's death, Beppu and the last of the "samurai" drew their swords and plunged downhill toward the Imperial positions until the last were mowed down by Gatling guns.

With these deaths, the Satsuma rebellion came to an end. In 1889-02-22, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saigō posthumously. A statue in Kagoshima's Central Park stands in his memory.

This battle inspired the final scenes of the movie, "The Last Samurai".

References

Books

*cite book
last = Buck
first = James Harold
year = 1979
title = Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History
publisher = University Publications of America
location =
id = ISBN 089093259X
*cite book
last = Keane
first = Donald
year = 2005
title = Emperor Of Japan: Meiji And His World, 1852-1912
publisher = Columbia University Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-231-12341-8
*cite book
last = Mounsley
first = Augustus H
year = 1979
title = Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History
publisher = University Publications of America
location =
id = ISBN 089093259X
*cite book
last = Ravina
first = Mark
year = 2004
title = The Last Samurai : The Life and Battles of Saigō Takamori
publisher = Wiley
location =
id = ISBN 0-471-08970-2

External links

* [http://www.historynet.com/wars_conflicts/19_century/3028391.html?page=1&c=y Satsuma Rebellion: Satsuma Clan Samurai Against the Imperial Japanese Army]
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