Say What Saturday: The Fight to Hold Champion Hill

Indeed he was.
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I have looked high and low as him being the owner and editor of a Vicksburg newspaper I always figured he had some sort of journal or record but have never been able to find one. He did co-write a Miss history book with Gen Lowery which I have a first edition signed copy but there is nothing in it about Champions Hill.
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Alan, I got interested in Dillon’s Plantation and found that is was the earlier site of Dean’s Stand, an 1823 B&B on the Natchez Trace. The Trace and Old Port Gibson Rd. cross at that point. Was Pemberton’s original plan to take the Raymond Rd. on your map (Hwy 463 I guess) to the Port Gibson Rd. south to Dillon’s? That seems like a roundabout way from Edwards unless there was no more direct way to get there.

Anyway, for those not familiar here is the roadside stop on the Trace for Dean’s Stand:
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And a piece noting the transfer of Dillon’s Plantation to the NPS in 2003.
Interesting stuff.

 
Alan, I got interested in Dillon’s Plantation and found that is was the earlier site of Dean’s Stand, an 1823 B&B on the Natchez Trace. The Trace and Old Port Gibson Rd. cross at that point. Was Pemberton’s original plan to take the Raymond Rd. on your map (Hwy 463 I guess) to the Port Gibson Rd. south to Dillon’s? That seems like a roundabout way from Edwards unless there was no more direct way to get there.

Anyway, for those not familiar here is the roadside stop on the Trace for Dean’s Stand:View attachment 358969

And a piece noting the transfer of Dillon’s Plantation to the NPS in 2003.
Interesting stuff.


Yes. His intention was to move east on modern day Hwy 467 (Raymond Road on my map) to modern day Bill Downing Road (I think it was called Turkey Creek Road during the war) and to take it south to Dillon’s.

Pemberton thought Johnston would put up a fight against Grant at Jackson, thereby embroiling Grant in combat against entrenched positions ringing Jackson.

In the meantime, Pemberton believed the 2 divisions guarding Grant’s supply wagons were in the Auburn area, west of 14-Mile Creek and Dillon’s. He hope to give them battle with his 3 divisions, forcing Grant to withdraw from Jackson-Clinton area and to look to his supply line, thereby reopening communication with Jackson.

Pemberton went along with the council of war’s decision to do this, thinking he was under orders from Johnston to at least do something. He claims it was against his better judgment and wanted to either give battle to Grant at Edwards or to hold the line of the Big Black. He thereby abdicated his authority. It was a fatal decision.

Below is the historical marker at Dillon’s describing Grant’s decision on May 12 to march on Jackson. Dillon’s is one of the most important spots in the campaign. Grant’s decision there not only changed the course of the campaign, but likely American history.

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Had Pemberton tried overruled his council and defended either at Edwards or behind the Big Black what do you think Grant’s chances would be at that point? I would think he’d have be in somewhat of a pickle.
 
Had Pemberton tried overruled his council and defended either at Edwards or behind the Big Black what do you think Grant’s chances would be at that point? I would think he’d have be in somewhat of a pickle.

I think Grant would have, indeed, been in a pickle. But what we know about Grant was that he was going to fight. His biggest problem, though, was food for his army. When he moved toward Edwards, he was entering an area where fodder and provisions had been picked over. An army over 30,000 men (and untold numbers of horses, mules and oxen) would have quickly eaten up the foodstuffs in the surrounding area. He could not have afforded to remain east of the Big Black long at all because of that. He needed Snyder’s Bluff north of Vicksburg to establish a new base. This might have caused him to move aggressively against the Big Black line. If he had met with defeats similar to the one he experienced on May 22 before getting across the Big Black, he would have been in a tight spot indeed.
 
I think Grant would have, indeed, been in a pickle. But what we know about Grant was that he was going to fight. His biggest problem, though, was food for his army. When he moved toward Edwards, he was entering an area where fodder and provisions had been picked over. An army over 30,000 men (and untold numbers of horses, mules and oxen) would have quickly eaten up the foodstuffs in the surrounding area. He could not have afforded to remain east of the Big Black long at all because of that. He needed Snyder’s Bluff north of Vicksburg to establish a new base. This might have caused him to move aggressively against the Big Black line. If he had met with defeats similar to the one he experienced on May 22 before getting across the Big Black, he would have been in a tight spot indeed.
Do you know how many CS troops were left at Vicksburg? Hebert’s Bgde., Forney’s Div. where my ancestor served, was posted at Snyder’s Bluff then brought into the city’s defenses quickly after the Big Black disaster.
 
Alan, I’m probably beating this to death, but I dug out my father’s old folio of Miss. county highway maps dated 1950. He ran seismograph crews in the boonies at the time and these showed every road, paved to dirt, and dwellings, which was necessary in his work.

Here is a pic of a portion of Hinds County. The numbered red dots are 1) Edwards, 2) Champion Hill crossroads, 3) Dillon’s Plantation, 4) Auburn cemetery and 5) Raymond. Roads change of course but I see Pemberton’s route (red) to the crossroads and then south to Dillon’s. The green route is the Port Gibson road that Grant took to Dillon’s, then to Raymond. I’ve highlighted Mt. Moriah Rd. as it is named on new topo maps in orange as a direct route between Edwards and Dillon’s. No way to know if it was in existence in 1863, but if so Pemberton was fortunate that the 2 divisions at Auburn didn’t move into his rear as he headed east for Champion Hill.

The tiny black squares are farm unit are labeled farm units-I assume houses.

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Do you know how many CS troops were left at Vicksburg? Hebert’s Bgde., Forney’s Div. where my ancestor served, was posted at Snyder’s Bluff then brought into the city’s defenses quickly after the Big Black disaster.

Only one brigade was posted in Vicksburg (Shoup’s). The rest were guarding the MS River line north and south of Vicksburg: One brigade at Warrenton (Moore’s) and one at Snyder’s (Hebert). I don’t believe it was more than 10,000 men total at those 3 points.

if so Pemberton was fortunate that the 2 divisions at Auburn didn’t move into his rear as he headed east for Champion Hill.

I love the map. Thanks.

Those two divisions were on the move. As mentioned in my article, rains delayed Pemberton’s march on the 15th. There was no way he was going to catch them before they crossed 14-Mile Creek at Dillon’s.

In fact, if you go back to my hand drawn maps, you will see that I show two Yankee forces (though I don’t name them) on the Raymond Rd facing Loring. Those are the two divisions (AJ Smith and Blair) that had been in the Auburn-Dillon’s area on the 14th when the council of war took place. By nighttime on the 15 and early morning of 16, they were already in and through Raymond. That’s how fast they were moving.

So, as he moved toward Bakers Creek they were no longer on his flank but in his front.
 
Only one brigade was posted in Vicksburg (Shoup’s). The rest were guarding the MS River line north and south of Vicksburg: One brigade at Warrenton (Moore’s) and one at Snyder’s (Hebert). I don’t believe it was more than 10,000 men total at those 3 points.



I love the map. Thanks.

Those two divisions were on the move. As mentioned in my article, rains delayed Pemberton’s march on the 15th. There was no way he was going to catch them before they crossed 14-Mile Creek at Dillon’s.

In fact, if you go back to my hand drawn maps, you will see that I show two Yankee forces (though I don’t name them) on the Raymond Rd facing Loring. Those are the two divisions (AJ Smith and Blair) that had been in the Auburn-Dillon’s area on the 14th when the council of war took place. By nighttime on the 15 and early morning of 16, they were already in and through Raymond. That’s how fast they were moving.

So, as he moved toward Bakers Creek they were no longer on his flank but in his front.
Thanks, that cleared it up for me.
 
Alan, I’m probably beating this to death, but I dug out my father’s old folio of Miss. county highway maps dated 1950. He ran seismograph crews in the boonies at the time and these showed every road, paved to dirt, and dwellings, which was necessary in his work.

Here is a pic of a portion of Hinds County. The numbered red dots are 1) Edwards, 2) Champion Hill crossroads, 3) Dillon’s Plantation, 4) Auburn cemetery and 5) Raymond. Roads change of course but I see Pemberton’s route (red) to the crossroads and then south to Dillon’s. The green route is the Port Gibson road that Grant took to Dillon’s, then to Raymond. I’ve highlighted Mt. Moriah Rd. as it is named on new topo maps in orange as a direct route between Edwards and Dillon’s. No way to know if it was in existence in 1863, but if so Pemberton was fortunate that the 2 divisions at Auburn didn’t move into his rear as he headed east for Champion Hill.

The tiny black squares are farm unit are labeled farm units-I assume houses.

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@RobertP, I’ve been looking over this map of your father’s and am really enjoying it. Is it possible to post the rest of Hinds County?

Do you have any other counties? I believe many of these roads will correspond to the original Civil War roads. It really is amazing. Such would be helpful to me in my research.

Thanks!
 
@RobertP, I’ve been looking over this map of your father’s and am really enjoying it. Is it possible to post the rest of Hinds County?

Do you have any other counties? I believe many of these roads will correspond to the original Civil War roads. It really is amazing. Such would be helpful to me in my research.

Thanks!
Sure, it has every county in the state. I’ll see of much of Hinds I can get in a single shot. Maybe you can tell me where to zoom in.
 
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