Toba-Fushimi through Nagakura's eyes

"On the 3rd, 25 or 26 men under Okita, Nagakura, Harada and others,
were gathered in the meeting hall of the Fushimi Magistrate's offices,
and drinking good sake. Around 4 PM they saw Satsuma men rolling
cannons into position around Gokomiya, a shrine which had a good
commanding view of the other Bakufu forces' encampment. It seemed that
war was about to start and could come suddenly, so [the Shinsengumi
men] prepared to be deployed at a moment's notice. That night at
around 7, the cannons at Gokomiya erupted. Every building in Fushimi
became a target. The Magistrate's office also took about 10
hits...vice-commander Hijikata, sensing that this was it, gathered the
men in the courtyard and ordered an all-out offensive. First they
brought out the cannon that was assigned to the magistrate's office,
and then pointing it at the Satsuma positions at Gokomiya, began to
fire. The Satsuma forces saw this and zeroed in, unleashing a
withering barrage of fire. After about half an hour the cannonade
continued, and so Nagakura's 2nd Unit was detached as an assault team
and ordered to disrupt the enemy positions.
Nagakura and his sergeants Shimada Kai and Ito Tetsugoro led the men
over the earthen wall and charged the Satsuma camp. Swinging their
swords, Nagakura and his men bravely struck the enemy, Satsuma men
under Nozu Shigekatsu, who were forced to retreat. They gave chase for
about three cho, and then found that the houses on both sides of the
road were aflame, and no advance was possible. Out of options,
Nagakura and his men withdrew to the earthen wall outside the
magistrate's office, intending to return inside. However, Nagakura's
armor was heavy and he could not climb over the wall, so his sergeant
Shimada Kai extended his rifle, and pulled it up over the wall with
Nagakura hanging off. Those who saw were shocked at the extent of his
[Shimada's] strength."

Nagakura, Shinsengumi Tenmatsu-ki, pages 158 to 159.

---------

Been awhile; hope you all are doing well.

I find it interesting that Shinsengumi saw the cannons later used for
the surprise attack, being rolled into place at Gokomiya. Some of us
know the story of Nagakura being pulled up over a wall at
Toba-Fushimi; apparently this is it. For the longest time I thought it
was a spear Shimada used, but apparently it was a rifle.

--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, "M." wrote:

>
> "On the 3rd, 25 or 26 men under Okita, Nagakura, Harada and others,
> were gathered in the meeting hall of the Fushimi Magistrate's offices,
> and drinking good sake. Around 4 PM they saw Satsuma men rolling
> cannons into position around Gokomiya...."

**I wonder....

Okita, "Ummm this is some good sake it's making me see things..."

Harada "Yeah I see cannons being moved around..."

Nagakura "Should we tell someone?"

Okita "If we told the Bakufu command would they care or listen to us?"

So I wonder if the "higher ups" were informed at all. Or was it a wait
and see game --- obviously the cannons illustrated Satsuma intent to
use them (duh) but this description by Old Nagakura is a bit weird.

It would be hilarious if he recorded all this in the third person

"M." wrote:
Some of us

> know the story of Nagakura being pulled up over a wall at
> Toba-Fushimi; apparently this is it. For the longest time I thought it
> was a spear Shimada used, but apparently it was a rifle.

**I've seen Japanese fanart where Nagakura is hanging from Shimada
Kai's spear too!

[Reminder] WolverineSG uploaded some more cosplay pics in
the "photos" section of the mailing list please look for the folder
titled "Shinsengumi in America" to see the pics---thanks WolverineSG!

I know that this will sound crazy but does anyone know
what happened to Shimada Kai?

Just wondering.

Marie Nomad


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--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, Maria wrote:

> what happened to Shimada Kai?
> Marie Nomad

The really really short answer is Shimada Kai was one of the very few
Shinsengumi who stayed with Hijikata during the move north to
Hokkaido. After serving a brief detention after the war, Shimada Kai
continued to live in the Meiji era and left behind a record of
Shinsengumi activities. From past discussions (this is from my memory
mind you) he did not wish to seek government employment and this or
may not be connected to his views on the new order.

Inside the http://www.shinsengumihq.com website is a search bar in the
upper left hand corner and if you type in "Shimada Kai" every page on
which his name appears should be pulled up for you to browse.

--------[Extra Info]--------

Some of Shimada Kai's writing is invaluable in terms of cross checking
some facts and Hirotada wrote a great summary comparing what Shimada
said about the name "Shinsengumi" and perhaps a more likely explanation:

"What's in a Name?"--Shimada Kai and the Question of Shinsengumi's
Name [return to top]

by Hirotada Tokugawa(Shimazu Masayoshi)

According to Shimada Kai's record, the name "Shinsengumi" was received
by the Buke-denso (Imperial Messengers) following the unit's
performance on 8/18/Bunkyu 3. However, Tsuri Yoichi, in "Doujidainin
wo mita Matsudaira Katamori" (appearing in "Matsudaira Katamori no
Subete"), points out that after the incident, on the day that the
group received the name "Shinsengumi," the buke-denso-- Nomiya
Sadanori and Asukai Masanori-- were confined from meeting with anyone
on that day, since they were in the list of 20 nobles in Sanjo
Chunagon Sanetomi's group who were similarly confined. "Therefore,
there is no way," Tsuri says, "that they could have been there to
bestow the name of 'Shinsengumi'. If we are to trust Shimada Kai's
record and believe they were the ones who bestowed the name, they
would have had to bestowed it prior to the 8/18 incident. Therefore it
is more probable that Katamori or one of the men close to him bestowed
the name instead."

(Tsuri Yoichi, Doujidainin wo mita Matsudaira Katamori, pp. 150-160 of
Matsudaira Katamori no Subete, Tsunabuchi Kenjo, ed. Tokyo: Shin
Jinbutsu Oraisha, 1984, pp. 161-162)

Katamori bestowed the funerary name of
Kanteninden-junchuuseigi-daikoji upon the late Kondou Isami following
the latter's burial in Aizu.

(Tsuri Yoichi, Doujidainin wo mita Matsudaira Katamori, pp. 150-160 of
Matsudaira Katamori no Subete, Tsunabuchi Kenjo, ed. Tokyo: Shin
Jinbutsu Oraisha, 1984, p. 163)

He did indeed record the entire book in the third person. Not
uncommon, after all, Caesar's "Bellum Gallicum" was written in the
third person too.

--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, "secretary" wrote:
>
> --- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, "M." wrote:
> >
> > "On the 3rd, 25 or 26 men under Okita, Nagakura, Harada and others,
> > were gathered in the meeting hall of the Fushimi Magistrate's offices,
> > and drinking good sake. Around 4 PM they saw Satsuma men rolling
> > cannons into position around Gokomiya...."
>
> **I wonder....
>
> Okita, "Ummm this is some good sake it's making me see things..."
>
> Harada "Yeah I see cannons being moved around..."
>
> Nagakura "Should we tell someone?"
>
> Okita "If we told the Bakufu command would they care or listen to us?"
>
> So I wonder if the "higher ups" were informed at all. Or was it a wait
> and see game --- obviously the cannons illustrated Satsuma intent to
> use them (duh) but this description by Old Nagakura is a bit weird.
>
> It would be hilarious if he recorded all this in the third person
>
> "M." wrote:
> Some of us
> > know the story of Nagakura being pulled up over a wall at
> > Toba-Fushimi; apparently this is it. For the longest time I thought it
> > was a spear Shimada used, but apparently it was a rifle.
>
> **I've seen Japanese fanart where Nagakura is hanging from Shimada
> Kai's spear too!
>
> [Reminder] WolverineSG uploaded some more cosplay pics in
> the "photos" section of the mailing list please look for the folder
> titled "Shinsengumi in America" to see the pics---thanks WolverineSG!
>