The Battle of Shiroyama

The Battle of Shiroyama took place on 24 September 1.877, in Kagoshima, Japan. It was the final battle of the Satsuma Rebellion, where the heavily outnumbered samurai under Saigö Takamori made their last stand against Imperial Japanese Army under the command of Generals Yamagata Aritomo and Kawamura Sumiyoshi. The battle culminated in the annihilation of Saigö's army as well as his death, marking the end of the Satsuma Rebellion.

Following defeat at the Siege of Kumamoto Castle and in other battles in central Kyüshü, the surviving remnants of the samurai forces loyal to Saigö Takamori fled back to Satsuma, seizing the hill of Shiroyama overlooking Kagoshima on 1 September 1.877. 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, Saigö had only about 500 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 30.000 troops, Yamagata, although greatly outnumbering Saigö, bided his time constructing a series of fortifications to encircle Saigö and preempt any chance of a breakout, additionally requisitioning five warships to bombard the rebels and reduce their defenses.

He was planning an attack from all sides, and in an effort to prevent another escape, ordered that any position engaged by the enemy was to be fired upon, regardless of friendly casualties. Saigö defended his position with limited musket support and a few pieces of artillery, melting down metal statues to produce bullets and tending to injuries with a carpenter's saw. After firing a final barrage of artillery lasting the night, Yamagata's men attacked Saigö's position.

The samurai, under heavy fire, charged the lines of the imperial army, which had not been trained for close-quarter sword fighting. In just a few minutes, the once organized line turned into disarray. Highly skilled samurai swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. For a short time, Saigö's lines held, but was forced back due to weight of numbers. 

Saigö was mortally wounded in the femoral artery and stomach, and was carried by Beppy Shinsuke downhill to find a place to end his life.