User:Toyoda.fengtian.pungjeon/The Great Battle of Tsubakidai

Tsubakidai, the final point of defense of Akita Domain (in present-day Akita City)

Great Battle of Tsubakidai was part of the War in Akita where Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei (Alliance of the domains of Mutsu, Dewa, and Echigo') attacked the strong position of Kubota Domain (later renamed Akita Domain) at Tsubakidai (in present-day Akita City) and experienced the first major defeat of Shōnai Domain against Kubota Domain.

Course of Events

Alerted by the progress of the army of Shōnai Domain, the army of the Meiji Government built a strong position on the hills around Tsubakidai, where Kubota-Shinden Domain, a branch domain of Kubota Domain, had previously a plan to build an outpost. This position became the last line of defense for Kubota Domain, and its surrender would mean a direct attack on Kubota Castle, only 12 kilometers to the north.

On September 10, 1868, the 4th battalion of the Shōnai forces started the attack, occupied Nukazukayama, swarmed up to Tsubakidai from the direction of Anyoji. The Meiji Government forces managed to keep the defense line in a seesaw struggle.

On September 11, the Meiji Government forces (samurai of Kagoshima Domain, Fukuoka Domain, Sadowara Domain, Shinjō Domain, Kubota Domain, Yashima Domain, Honjō Domain, and others) started the counterattack with modern guns, which proved far more effective than matchlock guns still used by the Shōnai forces. The Shōnai forces lost Nukazukayama in the morning and retreated to Jingamura in the afternoon, with 15 dead and 81 wounded. This was the great loss for the Shōnai forces in one day.

On September 12, the 3rd battalion of the Shōnai forces tried to take Nagahama but was repelled by the Meiji Government forces which scrambled from Tsubakidai for defense.

On September 14, the Shōnai forces decided to treat to its domain.