![]() Takamori’s force has reinforced itself to a strength of 1800 and ventures back up the road towards Buzen. ![]() ![]() Late summer, 1865: Second battle of Buzen. Takamori is forced to withdraw from the siege and retreat back to Buzen to rest and rearm. It’s a pyrrhic victory, however, as every unit that was on the main line of battle has come out of it completely gutted with less than half of its men remaining. Apparently unsettled by having five-sixths of his hatamoto gunned down in under thirty seconds, the opposing general flees taking most of his army with him. Things are desperate enough that Takamori is forced into a course of action that Wellington would find displeasing: he orders his sharpshooters to start sniping at the enemy commander. Takamori is forced into a desperate defensive action, where the attacking spear levies tie up the line infantry in close combat while the muskets pound, pound, pound away with massed fire. ![]() Buzen is garrisoned by 2600 men mostly spear and musket levies, but they still outnumber Takamori’s small force of 1200 professional line infantry and sharpshooters by more than two to one. He’s taken Hyuga and Bungo in a lightning campaign, and after weathering a harsh winter in Bungo his army has marched further northwards to take Buzen. General Takamori’s army is pushing up the eastern coastline of Kyushu. Early spring, 1865: First battle of Buzen.
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