It is said that the reason of this appointment was that Tani was expected not to join Saigo's army because his ancestor was a great scholar, Jinzan TANI, who was Ansai YAMAZAKI's disciple, and the teachings had been hammered into his head.
この人事は、祖先に山崎闇斎門下の大学者谷秦山をもち、その精神を叩き込まれている谷であれば西郷軍につくことはあるまいと見込まれてのものであったという。