Eugène Collache

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Eugène Collache in samurai attire.

Eugène Collache was an officer of the French Navy in the 19th century. Based on the ship Minerva of the French Oriental Fleet, he deserted when the ship was anchored at Yokohama harbour, with his friend Henri Nicol to rally other French officers, led by Jules Brunet, who had embraced the cause of the Bakufu in the Boshin War. On November 29, 1868, Eugène Collache and Nicol left Yokohama onboard a commercial ship, the Sophie-Hélène, chartered by a Swiss businessman.^[1]

Reception of Eugène Collache by a Minister of the Daimyo of Tsugaru.

The two French officers first reached Samenoura Bay (鮫ノ浦湾) in the province of Nambu (modern Miyagi Prefecture), where they learnt that the Imperial forces had subdued the Daimyos of Northern Japan, and that the rebel forces favorable to the Shogun had fled to the island of Hokkaidō. They decided to go further north to Aomori, where they were warmly received by the Daimyo of Tsugaru. A visiting American ship brought them the news that an arrestation order against them had been issued. Eugène Collache and Nicol decided to board the American ship and reached Hokkaidō. During the winter of 1868-1869, Collache was put in charge of establishing fortifications in the volcanic mountain chain protecting Hakodate (Nicol was put in charge of organizing the Navy).

In May 18, the decision was taken to make a surprise attack on the Imperial Navy, which was moving north to confront them. Collache thus participated to the Naval Battle of Miyako. He was on the Takao, former Aschwelotte, which he was commanding. The two other ships were the Kaiten and the Banryu. The ships encountered bad weather, in which the Takao suffered from engine trouble, and the Banryu was separated. The Baryu eventually returned to Hokkaidō, without joining the battle.

The wreckage of the Takao, pursued by steamships of the Imperial Navy.

To create surprise, the Kaiten planned to enter Miyako harbour with an American flag. Unable to achieve more than 3 knots due to engine trouble, the Takao trailed behind, and the Kaiten first joined battle. The Kaiten approached the enemy ships and raised the Bakufu flag seconds before boarding the Kotetsu. The Kotetsu managed to repel the attack with a Gatling gun, with huge loss on the attacking side. The Kaiten, pursued by the Imperial fleet, steamed out of Miyako Bay just as the Takao was entering it. The Kaiten eventually escaped to Hokkaidō, but the Takao was unable to leave the pursuers and wrecked herself voluntarily.

Collache in prison, in Edo.

The trial of Eugène Collache in Edo.

Trying to escape through the mountain, Collache finally surrendered after a few days together with his troops to the Japanese authorities. They were brought to Edo to be imprisoned. He was judged and condemned to death, but he was finally pardoned. He was transferred to Yokohama onboard the French Navy frigate Coëtlogon, where he joined the remaining of the French rebel officers led by Jules Brunet.

During his adventure, Eugène Collache wore the Japanese dress, whether on the contrary some of his Japanese military colleagues wore Western uniforms:

"It was the first time a European thus crossed Japan, and everybody wanted to see him; but my hairless face, my suntanned skin, and my Japanese clothes misled the curious, who then thought that the European man was a certain Japanese officer who wore a moustache and had the uniform of an American Navy officer." Eugène Collache, "Une aventure au Japon", in "Le Tour du Monde", p59

Back in France, he was dismissed from the army and judged as a deserter, but the sanctions were light, and he was allowed to reintegrate the French army to participate to the Franco-Prussian War with his friend Nicol.

He wrote "An Adventure in Japan 1868 - 1869" ("Une aventure au Japon 1868-1869"), which was published in 1874.