On April 23 when the siege of Kumamoto Castle was released, the national government sent an army-and-navy-mixed troop whose main forces were composed of the detached 1st brigade (led by Commander Tomonosuke TAKASHIMA) and two battalions of the detached 3rd brigade (led by Lieutenant Colonel Yoshiaki TANABE) to Kagoshima with Sangun Sumiyoshi KAWAMURA, Vice Admiral of the Imperial Navy, as the Supreme Commander.
熊本城の包囲が解けた4月23日、政府は参軍川村純義海軍中将を総司令官として別働第1旅団（旅団長高島鞆之助）・別働第3旅団2個大隊（田辺良顕中佐）を主力とする陸海軍混成軍を鹿児島に派遣した。