Ujisato Gamo (1556-1600), born Tsurichiyo and also called Norihide Gamo or known by his Christian name Leon Gamo, was a general of the Oda and Toyotomi clans and later an officer of the Western Army. A loyalist of Hideyoshi Hashiba who fought with him since the Battle of Anegawa, he died fighting at the Battle of Sekigahara.
Biography[]
Born in the town of Hino in the Gamo District of Omi Province, Tsurichiyo became a hostage of the Oda when his father Katahide swore allegiance to Nobunaga Oda after the Rokkaku clan's fall. He lived in Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture) and eventually became Nobunaga's vassal and he married Nobunaga's daughter Lady Fuyu. He served in the Battle of Anegawa and the Battle of Nagashino under Nobunaga and after Nobunaga's death served under Hideyoshi Hashiba in his campaigns.
He was enfeoffed in Matsusaka in Kii Province for his command skills in the 1583 Battle of Shizugatake and subdued Nobukatsu Oda at the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute in 1584, and by 1591 was one of the "five greatest daimyo" of Japan under the rule of Hideyoshi. In 1587 he gained a huge fief in Aizu after serving in the Kyushu Campaign and converted to Christianity due to the large hold that the religion held over Japan.
Death[]
After the death of Hideyoshi in 1598, Ujisato became a general of the Western Army, loyalists to the Toyotomi clan led by Mitsunari Ishida. During the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara he helped to defend a stronghold that sent in more troops to fight for Mitsunari, but was cut down by Tadakatsu Honda's Bukotsu (great spear) and died.