▁al liance ' s ▁anti - T ok ug awa ▁military ▁object ives . ▁This ▁left ▁U ts un omi ya ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁T ad atom o ' s ▁retired ▁prede cess or , ▁Tod a ▁T ad ay uki , ▁who ▁also ▁advoc ated ▁surrender , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Sh og un ate . ▁ ▁Events ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁battle ▁In ▁the ▁days ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁attack , ▁the ▁former ▁Sh og un ate ▁forces ▁were ▁moving ▁quickly ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁from ▁castle ▁to ▁castle , ▁with ▁Hij ik ata ▁taking ▁two ▁domains ▁in ▁Hit achi ▁Province — Sh im ots uma ▁and ▁Sh im od ate — on ▁May ▁ 7 ▁and ▁May ▁ 8 . ▁However , ▁as ▁these ▁domains ▁were ▁small ▁and ▁their ▁da im y ō ▁had ▁fled , ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁much ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁money ▁or ▁supplies , ▁and ▁Hij ik ata ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁ac quire ▁what ▁he ▁had ▁hoped ▁for . ▁Al most ▁simultaneously , ▁a ▁pe asant ▁ri ot ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁U ts un omi ya , ▁giving ▁the ▁former ▁Sh og un ate ▁forces ▁the ▁perfect ▁opportunity ▁to ▁strike , ▁which ▁they ▁seized ▁without ▁delay . ▁ Ō t ori ' s ▁forces ▁launched ▁their ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁castle ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁May ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁facing ▁off ▁against ▁the ▁combined ▁imperial ▁force ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁troops ▁from ▁M ats um oto ▁(