Anglo-Satsuma War - Photographic War

A battle between the Satsuma clan and a British fleet that took place in Kagoshima at the end of the Edo period. In relation to the Namamugi Incident in August 1862 (Bunkyu 2), the shogunate offered Britain an official apology and a payment of 100,000 pounds in compensation, but the Satsuma clan refused to hand over the perpetrators and pay 25,000 pounds in compensation. So on June 27, 1863, the following year, Admiral Cuper of the British fleet entered Kagoshima Bay and demanded the execution of the perpetrators and the payment of the aforementioned compensation the following day. However, the negotiations did not progress, and on July 2, the British fleet captured three ships, including the Satsuma clan's steamship Tenyu Maru. The Satsuma clan's Tempozan Battery and other batteries also fired, and the flagship Euryalus' captain, Colonel Josling, the executive officer, and seven sailors were killed in battle, and six were wounded. The bombardment was delayed by two hours because boxes of indemnity money from the Shogunate were stacked in front of the flagship's ammunition storehouse. Skirmishes continued on the 3rd, but on the 4th the British fleet retreated due to shortages of food, ammunition and coal, and to repairs to its hull, returning to Yokohama. The British ships' Armstrong cannons had a range four times that of the old-fashioned cannons of the Satsuma clan, and burned down Shuseikan, the mint, and 10% of the castle town. Casualties on the British side were 13 killed and 50 wounded, while on the Satsuma clan side the number was only five killed and a dozen wounded. However, the Satsuma clan recognized the power of the British Navy and began to reflect on their reckless expulsion of foreigners. The peace treaty was concluded under the conditions that the Satsuma clan appointed Okubo Toshimichi and Shigeno Yasutsugu as negotiating committee members, the shogunate paid indemnity in advance, and the British side mediated the purchase of warships for the Satsuma clan. After that, relations between Satsuma and Britain rapidly became closer, and the Satsuma clan was able to send students to Britain, raising the clan's status in the anti-shogunate movement.

[Izumi Haraguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末、鹿児島で行われた薩摩藩とイギリス艦隊との戦闘。1862年（文久2）8月の生麦(なまむぎ)事件に関し、幕府はイギリスに対し公式謝罪と償金10万ポンドの支払いに応じたが、薩摩藩は犯人の引渡しと償金2万5000ポンドの要求を拒否した。そこで翌63年6月27日、イギリス艦隊司令長官キューパーは鹿児島湾に侵入、翌日犯人の処刑と前記償金の支払いを求めた。しかし交渉は進展せず、7月2日イギリス艦隊は薩藩の汽船天祐(てんゆう)丸など3隻を拿捕(だほ)した。薩藩の天保山(てんぽうざん)砲台はじめ各砲台も発砲、旗艦ユーリアラス号では艦長ジョスリング大佐、副長、水兵（7名）が戦死、6名が負傷した。旗艦の弾薬庫前に幕府償金の箱が積まれていたため、砲撃が2時間も遅れたという。3日も小戦闘が続いが、4日に至りイギリス艦隊は、食料・弾薬・石炭の欠乏、船体修理のため退去、横浜に帰った。英艦のアームストロング砲は、薩藩の旧式砲の4倍の射程距離をもち、集成館、鋳銭所や城下町の1割を焼亡した。死傷者は、イギリス側が戦死13、負傷50名に及んだが、薩藩側は戦死5、負傷十数名にすぎなかった。しかし薩藩側ではイギリス海軍の威力を認識し無謀な攘夷(じょうい)を反省する機運が生まれた。講和は、薩藩が大久保利通(としみち)・重野安繹(しげのやすつぐ)らを交渉委員にたて、償金を幕府の立替え払いで支払い、イギリス側も薩藩の軍艦購入を周旋するなどの条件で成約した。以後、薩英関係は急速に緊密となり、薩藩のイギリス留学生派遣なども実現、討幕運動における同藩の地位を高めることとなった。

［原口　泉］

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