SAIGO, the family name of two brothers, both of whom have held the highest mili tary office in Japan. S. TAKAMORT, h. in Satsuma about 1827, a man of commanding physical and intellectual superiority, was one of the early supporter; of the 1::_erziry and political revolution that broke up anarchy in .Japan, and established the present men arehy, which is but the ancient system restored. lie was three times arrested and ban ished by the Yedo govermuent of the tycoon; and iu 1868 commanded forces and put down the rebels on the main island and in Yeto after a war of nearly two years. Being made marshal of the imperial army in 1873, he resigned after a ft.•w months, in consequence of a disagreement with the cabinet on the question of going to war with Corea. Ide retired to Satsuma and began the establishment of "military schools." On Feb. I, 1877, the great " Satsuma rebellion," led by him and into which circumstances forced him prematurely, began by the seizure of vessels at Kagoshima laden with powder belonging to the government. To suppress the rebel forces, who were led and animated by his high military genius, the imperial government sent over 60,000 men into the field for eight months. Atter many bloody battles, and the loss of nearly
ten thousand in killed and wounded on each side, the rebellion was ended by the battle of Shiroyama, in which the little hand of four hundred rebels, armed only with swords and led by Saigo, Kiriao, and Murata, were surrounded by 15,000 imperial troops. All of the ban I were killed or committed harrto-/riei. SAluo the younger, or Saigo Tsuku miehi, b. about 1836 in Satsuma, was also conspicuous in the restoration of 1868. In 1874 he led the Japanese expedition to Formosa, occupying the aboriginal portion of the island with 1300 troops for six months, and severely chastising the cannibals in several skirmishes. In 1876, as president of the Japanese commission at the centennial ex position at Philadelphia, he spent sweral months in the United States. In 1577, though not or lered to do so by the he took the field against the Satsuma rebels, and led the operations that closed the, campaign. lie is now, 1680, commanderr-iu-chief of the Japanese army.