Background
Yukimura Sanada was born in 1570. He was the second son of Sanada Masayuki (1544–1611). His elder brother was Sanada Nobuyuki.
幸村 真田
Yukimura Sanada was born in 1570. He was the second son of Sanada Masayuki (1544–1611). His elder brother was Sanada Nobuyuki.
In the Sekigahara Battle (1600), he fought with his father on the side of the Toyotomis. They engaged the forces of Hidetada Tokugawa in battle at Ueda in Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture) and delayed their arrival at Sekigahara. When his father was exiled to Mount Kudo in Kii Province 11 (Wakayama Prefecture) by Ieyasu Tokugawa, Yukimura followed him there.
In 1614, he went to Osaka at the request of Hideyori Toyotomi and built a fort. In the Winter Campaign of Osaka (1614), he routed Tokugawa forces. In the Summer I Campaign of Osaka (1615), he fought at Sumiyoshi near Osaka with great success.
He and his 15-year-old son, Yukimasa, then attacked the powerful army of the Dates. In spite of his resourceful tactics, he was unable to turn the tide of war and was killed by Kyusaku Nishio while he was resting at a shrine.
Resourceful, courageous and loyal, he was regarded as a model warrior.
He was married to Chikurin-in (Akihime), Ōtani Yoshitsugu's daughter and adopted daughter of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Three other wives of Yukimura were his first wife the daughter/sister of Hotta Sakubei, who lost her status to Chikurin-in, Takanashi Naiki's daughter and Ryūsei-in (a daughter of Toyotomi Hidetsugu).