Battle of Shiroyama The took place on 24 September 1877 , in Kagoshima , Japan . It was the final battle of the Satsuma Rebellion . The samurai of Satsuma fought a series of battles on the Japanese island of Kyushu in 1877 . Summary . Following defeat at the Siege of Kumamoto Castle and in other battles in central Kyūshū , the surviving remnants of the " samurai " forces loyal to Saigō Takamori fled back to Satsuma , seizing the hill of Shiroyama overlooking Kagoshima on 1 September 1877 . Imperial army troops under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo and marines under the command of Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi began arriving soon after , and the rebels were surrounded . After combat losses and defections , Saigō had only 300 to 400 " samurai " remaining of a force of over 20 , 000 which had besieged the government garrison in the city of Kumamoto only six weeks earlier . With 30 , 000 troops , Yamagata greatly outnumbered Saigō . Having been outfought and outmaneuvered so often in the past , however , Yamagata was determined to leave nothing to chance . The imperial troops spent several days constructing an elaborate system of ditches , walls and obstacles to prevent another breakout . The five government warships in Kagoshima harbor added their firepower to Yamagata ' s artillery , and began to systematically reduce the rebel positions , firing more than 7 , 000 shells . Saigō defended his position with limited musket support , and no cannon . Saigō ' s force was reduced to melting down metal statuettes that local civilians smuggled in , and casting the metal into bullets . Medical supplies consisted of one carpenter ' s saw for amputations and a few rags for bandages . Yamagata sent a letter to Saigō , which entreated him to surrender , but " bushido " honor would not let Saigō surrender . Yamagata ' s battle plan was to assault Saigo ' s position from all sides at once . Units were forbidden to assist one another without express permission . If a unit retreated with enemy troops in pursuit , the neighboring units were to fire into the area indiscriminately , killing their own men if necessary to prevent Saigō from escaping . Following an intensive artillery bombardment the night of 24 September , imperial forces stormed the mountain in the early morning hours . The " samurai " , under heavy fire , charged the lines of the imperial army , which had not been trained for close - quarter sword fighting . In just a few minutes the once organized line turned into discord . Highly skilled " samurai " swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training . For a short time Saigō ' s lines held , but was forced back due to weight of numbers . By 6 a . m . , only 40 rebels were still alive . Saigō was wounded in the femoral artery and stomach . Losing blood rapidly , he asked to find a suitable spot to die . One of his most loyal followers , Beppu Shinsuke , carried him further down the hill on his shoulders . Legend says that Beppu acted as " kaishakunin " and aided Saigō in committing " seppuku " before he could be captured . However , other evidence contradicts this , stating that Saigō in fact died of the bullet wound and then had his head removed by Beppu in order to preserve his dignity . Aftermath . On 22 February 1889 , Emperor Meiji pardoned Saigō posthumously . Statues in Ueno Park , Tokyo and near the ruins of Kagoshima Castle stand in his memory . This battle inspired the final scenes of the 2003 movie , " The Last Samurai " .