Saito Hajime
Shinsengumi
Saito Hajime was born as a son of Gokenin in Edo. He killed a Hatamoto when he was around 18 and he had to ran away from Edo. He joined Mibu Roshigumi in Kyoto 1863. In 1864 He became captain of the 3rd unit of Shinsengumi. When Ito Kashitaro group formed Goryo Eji, Saito joined them as a spy and detected their plan of assassination of Kondo Isami which resulted Ito Kashitaro was assassinated by Shinsengumi.(Incident at Aburano Koji)
Boshin War
He participated the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, the Battle of Koshu-Katsunuma. Then he went to Aizu with several members. (Kondo Isami and other members went to Nagareyama) He was named to be commander of Shinsengumi instead of Hijikata Toshizo who was wounded. After they lost the Battle of Bonari pass , Hijikata decided to go north to join Enomoto Takeaki's Bakufu troops. According to Saito Hajime's grandson, Saito said "Shinsengumi have been benefitted by Lord Matsudaira Katamori. I refuse to leave Aizu. No way. I would die with them."