Sekihoutai - Sekihoutai

One of the vanguard troops of the government army during the Boshin War. In January 1868 (Keio 4), the grassroots group, under orders from Saigo Takamori and Iwakura Tomomi, formed the group at Matsuoyama in Omi with Ayanokoji Toshizane and Shigenoi Kinhisa. It was made up of three units, the first of which was made up of Sagara Sozo and his comrades, the second of which was made up of former Shinsengumi defectors, and the third of which was made up of samurai from the Minakuchi domain in Omi. It was ordered to serve as a pacification envoy along the Tokaido road, and marched forward while announcing a halving of the annual tax, but was called back to Kyoto due to a change in the new government's policies. However, Sagara's troops, having assessed the situation independently, continued their advance, aiming to capture Usui Pass on the Tosando road. The Governor-General suppressed this force, which was made up of many peasants, fearing that they would join forces with the general public, and in March, Sagara and his men were executed in Shimo-Suwa, Shinano Province, as "fake government troops."

[Takagi Shunsuke]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

戊辰(ぼしん)戦争期の官軍先鋒(せんぽう)隊の一つ。1868年（慶応4）1月に西郷隆盛(たかもり)や岩倉具視(ともみ)の指令を受けた草莽(そうもう)が、綾小路俊実(あやのこうじとしざね)、滋野井公寿(しげのいきんひさ)二卿(きょう)を擁して近江(おうみ)松尾山にて結成した。三隊編成をとり、一番隊は相楽総三(さがらそうぞう)とその同志、二番隊は元新選組脱隊士、三番隊は近江(おうみ)水口(みなくち)藩士を中心として編成。東海道鎮撫使(ちんぶし)付属を命ぜられ、年貢半減を布告しつつ進軍したが、新政府の政策転換のために京都へ呼び戻された。しかし相楽の隊だけは、独自の情勢判断から東山道(とうさんどう)の碓氷(うすい)峠攻略を目ざして進軍を続けた。総督府は農民層を多く編成したこの隊が、民衆と結ぶことを恐れて弾圧し、相楽らは3月に「偽(にせ)官軍」の名の下に信濃(しなの)国下諏訪(しもすわ)にて処刑された。

［高木俊輔］

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