Battle of Champion Hill

Picked this up today at a half-price bookstore. I don't know much about the book. Written by Herb Phillips, the originator of the annual reenactment of the Battle of Champion Hill. No publication date that I can find. I'm guessing it was generated by the Champion Hill Battle Foundation, but not sure when.

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That one came out years ago, before, I believe, there was any foundation. Herb Phillips used to own and operate the Cactus Plantation near Edwards. The first re-enactment was held on his property back in the early 1980’s when I was in elementary school. It was at that re-enactment where I got mine. If I’m not mistaken, he self published it. I probably still have my old copy somewhere. Nonetheless, nice find!!
 
That one came out years ago, before, I believe, there was any foundation. Herb Phillips used to own and operate the Cactus Plantation near Edwards. The first re-enactment was held on his property back in the early 1980’s when I was in elementary school. It was at that re-enactment where I got mine. If I’m not mistaken, he self published it. I probably still have my old copy somewhere. Nonetheless, nice find!!
I had a feeling you would know something about it, @alan polk. $4 and looks interesting. On the downside, less than 10 books on Vicksburg and nearby area in about 5 completely full and overflowing bookshelves of CW books. Nonetheless, left with 9 new books, two bios on Lincoln. Did pick up a bio on David Dixon Porter.
 
Herb Phillips used to own and operate the Cactus Plantation near Edwards
That was my first memory when I saw @huskerblitz's post.

Herb was somewhat of a local celebrity during the late 70's/early 80's. I do remember he wrote a lot of articles about the Vicksburg Campaign back then, but I can't say if the articles were accurate or not.

However, I think he tried to be as true as possible based upon what was known at that time.
 
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Yeah, that booklet brings back fond memories. I must have been 10 or so years old when I went to the re-enactment. It was the first one I’d ever been to and was probably the first re-enactment in the area.

It was the most grand thing I’d ever seen! There must have been a total of 50 or so reenactors at that first one. I can remember the Yankees in line of battle as the Rebs approached. One of the Yank officers shouted to his men: “fire at will”!

A grown man - a spectator- jumped up on a nearby fence next to me and hollered over at the advancing Rebels: “Watch out Will! They gonna shoot ya!”

Now to a kid not used to seeing grown ups act like that, I laughed harder than I had ever laughed before!!! I remember it like it was yesterday.

Anyway, that booklet is a good example of locally written history and it is certainly nice to be reminded of those days!!!
 
I would say anywhere between 1979-1982.
That's about right.

I remember going to one of those early reenactments at Champion's Hill around 1984 or 85. I was in college at the time.
Actually that was the first reenactment I had attended. I remember massive traffic jams on all of the country "back roads" between Bolton & Edwards.

Once we found the site, and had to walk about two hundred yards to the "battle", I was in awe of the reenactors.
 
Yeah, that booklet brings back fond memories. I must have been 10 or so years old when I went to the re-enactment. It was the first one I’d ever been to and was probably the first re-enactment in the area.

It was the most grand thing I’d ever seen! There must have been a total of 50 or so reenactors at that first one. I can remember the Yankees in line of battle as the Rebs approached. One of the Yank officers shouted to his men: “fire at will”!

A grown man - a spectator- jumped up on a nearby fence next to me and hollered over at the advancing Rebels: “Watch out Will! They gonna shoot ya!”

Now to a kid not used to seeing grown ups act like that, I laughed harder than I had ever laughed before!!! I remember it like it was yesterday.

Anyway, that booklet is a good example of locally written history and it is certainly nice to be reminded of those days!!!
Alan that reminds me of a supposedly true story told about some of Terry's Texas Rangers in Kentucky. Supposedly the Texans serving in the Confederate service, were invited to watch a play, where there was a villain and a damsel in distress, and the villain was going to do something bad to the lady, and one of the Texans, apparently having never seen a drama before, tried to shoot the actor! Supposedly. It could also be explained I suppose that he was drunk or something, still a cute story if true.
 
Perhaps the finest moment of General John Bowen, Martin Green, Francis Cockrell and the Missourians! Not only did they take the hill, but moved down the reverse crest, drove off Union reinforcements and destroyed supply wagons before they were forced to retire as a result of heavy casualties and having pushed beyond the support of friendly units.

No. Cockrell's men drove Hovey's division, still recovering from the beating they had received on the way to the crossroads, pretty handily. However, they encountered Boomer's brigade just as it had crested the hill. Cockrell's men overlapped Boomer's left flank, and he began to wheel, connecting his right flank with Logan's division.

Meanwhile, Holmes' brigade arrived on the field, and Hovey's men began to regroup around him.

There was a gap between Holmes and Boomer at this point, but Grant had presciently placed the combined artillery of Hovey and Logan in position to rake the crest of the hill. Gunners who had been itching all day to get into the fight suddenly found targets as the Confederates ventured over the hill. On the other side of the hill, Cockrell's men found themselves facing Holmes across a 60 foot deep gully with nearly vertical sides. Five attempts were made to assault Holmes' position, and all five were beaten back with heavy casualties.

I'll attach a very crappily drawn jpeg to show these positions. :D
 

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Picked this up today at a half-price bookstore. I don't know much about the book. Written by Herb Phillips, the originator of the annual reenactment of the Battle of Champion Hill. No publication date that I can find. I'm guessing it was generated by the Champion Hill Battle Foundation, but not sure when.
That one came out years ago, before, I believe, there was any foundation. Herb Phillips used to own and operate the Cactus Plantation near Edwards. The first re-enactment was held on his property back in the early 1980’s when I was in elementary school. It was at that re-enactment where I got mine. If I’m not mistaken, he self published it. I probably still have my old copy somewhere. Nonetheless, nice find!!
... Herb was somewhat of a local celebrity during the late 70's/early 80's. I do remember he wrote a lot of articles about the Vicksburg Campaign back then, but I can't say if the articles were accurate or not.

However, I think he tried to be as true as possible based upon what was known at that time.
Yeah, that booklet brings back fond memories. I must have been 10 or so years old when I went to the re-enactment. It was the first one I’d ever been to and was probably the first re-enactment in the area.

It was the most grand thing I’d ever seen! There must have been a total of 50 or so reenactors at that first one. I can remember the Yankees in line of battle as the Rebs approached. One of the Yank officers shouted to his men: “fire at will”!

A grown man - a spectator- jumped up on a nearby fence next to me and hollered over at the advancing Rebels: “Watch out Will! They gonna shoot ya!”

Now to a kid not used to seeing grown ups act like that, I laughed harder than I had ever laughed before!!! I remember it like it was yesterday.

Anyway, that booklet is a good example of locally written history and it is certainly nice to be reminded of those days!!!
... I remember going to one of those early reenactments at Champion's Hill around 1984 or 85. I was in college at the time.
Actually that was the first reenactment I had attended. I remember massive traffic jams on all of the country "back roads" between Bolton & Edwards.

Once we found the site, and had to walk about two hundred yards to the "battle", I was in awe of the reenactors.
I still have mine as well! Indeed, Champion's Hill was a regular event for our Dallas-based reenactment group that routinely provided the Union artillery, some of the infantry, and on at least a couple of occasions staff for Marty Brazil's (@Marty US Grant) impression (Yours Truly seated at left):

0_0_ChampHill_005.jpg
 
Perhaps the finest moment of General John Bowen, Martin Green, Francis Cockrell and the Missourians! Not only did they take the hill, but moved down the reverse crest, drove off Union reinforcements and destroyed supply wagons before they were forced to retire as a result of heavy casualties and having pushed beyond the support of friendly units.

If you want to get a general picture of how roughly the units were handled, just look at the casualty breakdown:

Cockrell: 700
Boomer: 500
Holmes: 100

And Sanborn who was just arriving on the field when Cockrell said F it I’m out: about 50.

Bowen’s men took the crest, but never really made it past that point.
 
I still have mine as well! Indeed, Champion's Hill was a regular event for our Dallas-based reenactment group that routinely provided the Union artillery, some of the infantry, and on at least a couple of occasions staff for Marty Brazil's (@Marty US Grant) impression (Yours Truly seated at left):

View attachment 192364
It was for the 27th Ms and Cleburne’s Brigade also. I was a part of this unit. Herb Phillips worked hard to promote the Champion Hill Battlefield.
 
Picked this up today at a half-price bookstore. I don't know much about the book. Written by Herb Phillips, the originator of the annual reenactment of the Battle of Champion Hill. No publication date that I can find. I'm guessing it was generated by the Champion Hill Battle Foundation, but not sure when.

View attachment 172459
I dug out mine after reading these posts. There are several very nice line drawings by Marty Brazil (Grant) used as illustrations throughout, including a nice portrait of me highlighting my "Burnside" whiskers! There's also a full-page story about Marty and photos of some of our "pards". Marty was then staff illustrator for the reenacting magazine Camp Chase Gazette and most of these drawings, made from photos taken by his wife at various western events like Champion's Hill, had originally appeared in the magazine.
 
Here are a couple of pictures I took this weekend while passing through the area. Below is a new marker (at least new to me) interpreting Union Artillery on the Union right. Sorry for vehicle in picture- we were in a hurry)
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Below is a marker dedicated to historian Ed Bearss. It is located just south of the Crossroads.
26B87C52-0F6C-4A26-AFEB-C591C210006B.jpeg
 
Here are a couple of pictures I took this weekend while passing through the area. Below is a new marker (at least new to me) interpreting Union Artillery on the Union right. Sorry for vehicle in picture- we were in a hurry)
View attachment 217965

That one was there when I did the private tour with Sid Champion last February.
 
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