Part of my fall research-- and weird as this may seem, it is nonetheless
connected.
Karasugumi, the "Crow Unit," was a military unit of the Sendai domain in the
Boshin War. Commanded by this man--
http://www.dokidoki.ne.jp/home2/quwatoro/syashin2/hosoya.jpg Hosoya
Juudayuu. Sendai has had a crow problem for over 2 centuries, so the name
"Crow Unit" is appropriate, in my opinion. At any rate, as the
southwesterners were coming up into northern Japan, the Crow Unit was
active, and while I have yet to prove this, they were probably escorts for
Hijikata and his men, when they boarded Enomoto's ships at Sabusawa-jima in
Matsushima Bay.
Their banner was a flying black crow on a white background-- and Hosoya's
jinbaori (armor surcoat) was black, with a black yatagarasu (mythical
three-legged crow) on a red circle on the back.
-M.