Ogata Shuntaro (尾形俊太郎)
Shuntaro OGATA (Years of birth and death unknown) was a member of Shinsengumi (a group which guarded Kyoto during the end of Tokugawa Shogunate). He was one of the top executive members like Soji OKITA and Shinpachi NAGAKURA. Shuntaro held a post of Shoshi-torishirabe ken Kansatsu (Shinsengumi's organizational post for investigating movements of the opponents and keeping the Shinsengumi members under control) and of Master of Literature. He also served as Head of the group number 5, Fukucho-jokin (assistant vice commander) and Metsuke (superintendent officer). He was from the Kumamoto domain of Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture). His family name 'Ogata' is written also as 緒方 or 小形.
Shinsengumi
Shuntaro joined Shinsengumi sometime after July 10, 1863. He was appointed Fukucho-jokin in the organizational formation in July of the same year. Although he is considered to have participated in the Coup of August 18 (old calendar), but he was not involved in the Ikedaya Incident of June 1864. He could have been busy guarding Shinsengumi's headquarters or could have been sick as there was recordedly a lot of sickness in Shinsengumi at that time. He was appointed Head of the group number 5 in 'Kogunroku' (行軍録 which can be translated literally as 'marching record', but is actually a combat team formation) established in December 1864 for the preparation of the conquest of the Choshu domain.
Isami KONDO seems to have had great trust in Shuntaro, which is illustrated in the fact that Shuntaro was given an important position from an early stage of his career in Shinsengumi and that he accompanied Isami Kondo in all important trips such as the trip to Edo in 1864 to recruit new members for Shinsengumi and the two trips to Choshu (Nagato Province: Yamaguchi Prefecture) in 1865 and 1866. He was appointed Shoshi-torishirabe ken Kansatsu and Master of Literature in the organizational formation in May 1865, which indicates he was highly appreciated as a civilian.
Having been Fukucho-jokin in Shinsengumi, Shuntaro was recruited as a Mimawarigumi-kaku (a status which is equivalent to Mimawarigumi; the shogunate-organized security squad placed in Kyoto) at the time of recruitment of Shinsengumi members as shogun's retainers in July 1867.
He served as Metsuke when the Battle of Toba-Fushimi broke out in January 1868, and returned to Edo after taking flight to Osaka. Having remained in Shinsengumi after that, he headed for Aizu (western part of Fukushima Prefecture) following the Battle of Koshu-Katsunuma, and was routed at the Battle of Bonari-toge Pass of October 6, 1868. Nothing has been heard of him since his last record of the fact that he and his 38 colleagues including Jiro YAMAGUCHI alias Hajime SAITO stayed in an inn called Saitoya located at the foot of Aizu-Wakamatsu-jo Castle outside its outer moat in October 7, 1868. Ogata and Saito were the only assistant vice commanders of Shinsengumi who stayed with the group and went up to Aizu.
Movements
Ogata's movements in the last part of his life are not clear.
Nobori NAKAJIMA (a Shinsengumi member) wrote that 'he was missing' and Jingoro YOKOKURA (same) recorded that 'he stayed in Aizu Wakamatsu-jo Castle.'
In any case Ogata seems to have been away from the then Shinsengumi's headquarters and there are many views on his movements, none of which has been evidenced.
He stayed in Aizu until his death.
He kept on fighting together with the Sendai clan soldiers and surrendered in Sendai.
He returned his home Kumamoto and taught the art of sword in the local police.
After moving to Tokyo and working there as a secret agent under a name Tanji KOGA together with Hajime SAITO (who called himself Goro FUJITA at that time), he became a fire station chief and was killed in the performance of his duties in 1904.
Incidentally, a story has been handed down that there had been a grave of a Shinsengumi member named 'Ogata' together with a grave of Kijiro MATSUMOTO in Shofuku-ji Temple in Miyo of Aizu, which is not certain.