In the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, he lead a small-sized musket unit and forced the foot soldiers of the bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) army to withdraw by the barrage of gunfire, and in the Siege of Utsunomiya-jo Castle, he created momentum to the victory, actively fighting by rushing to the castellated walls and clinging to it.
鳥羽伏見の戦いでは、薩摩藩の小銃隊を指揮して幕府歩兵を集中射撃により敗走させ、宇都宮城攻防戦では城壁に突進して取り付くなど奮戦し、勝利の契機をつくった。