Boshin war Satake clan

shiroishi castle, headquarters of Ōuetsu reppan dōmei

after restoration of imperial rule in late 1867, boshin war broke out in 1868, pitting coalition of southern domains against forces of former tokugawa shogunate. after city of edo fell, remnants of tokugawa forces retreated northward, , fighting followed northward. satake clan signatory pact formed Ōuetsu reppan dōmei, alliance of anti-satchō northern domains led sendai domain. satake clan s delegation @ shiroishi, alliance s headquarters, led clan elder (karō) tomura yoshiari. however, satake had political difficulties alliance, culminated in murder, in akita, of delegation sendai on august 21, 1868, , display of messengers gibbeted heads in akita castle town. sendai delegation, led shimo matazaemon, dispatched request akita domain hand on kujō michitaka , other officials of imperial delegation had been sent region gather support imperial cause. satake backed out of alliance , supported imperial army; eleven days later, on september 1, 1868 tsugaru clan of neighboring hirosaki domain followed suit. in response, pro-alliance domains of morioka , ichinoseki sent troops attack kubota. kubota forces hard-pressed defend territory, result alliance troops had made serious advances before war s end; yokote castle burned, , october 7, morioka troops took Ōdate, 1 of akita domain s castles. in 1869, satake yoshitaka formally gave domain s registers imperial government, , made imperial governor of akita domain (han chiji). in mid-1869, imperial government rewarded service rendered main line of satake clan, raising income 20,000 koku. heads of satake clan s branches relieved of office daimyō in 1871, , ordered relocate tokyo.