was abolished in 1866,
The Yūgekitai (遊撃隊頭取), formed on 22 October 1866 out of former Kōbusho instructors (after its abolishment) and okuzume bakushin. It had as its tōdori the spearman Takahashi Deishū and the swordsmen Sakakibara Kenkichi and Mitsuhashi Torazō.
The Yūgekitai grew out of the okuzume-shū (the shōgun’s personal guard): Iba Hachirō was promoted at 21 from Kōbusho swordsman to okuzume, and the okuzume were then reorganized into the bakufu Yūgekitai, which fought at Toba-Fushimi.
Figures like Chūjō and Matsuoka went into the Seieitai.
After Toba-Fushimi the corps went to Kisarazu, drew in Jōzai-han lord Hayashi Tadataka, took the Futtsu jin’ya, then campaigned through Izu, Kōfu, and Numazu, where it reorganized.
When the Shōgitai opened the Battle of Ueno on 15 May 1868, the Yūgekitai moved in concert, trying to hold the Hakone barrier against the Odawara-han troops; Iba was shot in the hip at Sanmaibashi and lost an arm, then went north to join Hijikata, and died at Hakodate at 26. Field leadership ran through Iba Hachirō and Hitomi Katsutarō. Iba was the heir of the Shingyōtō-ryū Renbukan, son of Iba Gunbei.
