The Jackson-Vicksburg Campaign stands as one of the most strategically significant military operations of the American Civil War, ultimately securing Union control of the Mississippi River. This meticulously planned and executed campaign, led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, involved a series of decisive battles that culminated in the fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a critical Confederate stronghold. The entire Jackson-Vicksburg Campaign spanned from March to July 1863, forever altering the course of the conflict in the Western Theater and significantly boosting Union morale and strategic advantage.
Following the Union occupation of Jackson, Mississippi, both Confederate and Union forces meticulously planned their subsequent moves. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, with the majority of his army, retreated up the Canton Road. He issued orders to Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, who commanded approximately 23,000 men, to depart Edwards Station—located about 27 miles west of Jackson—and launch an attack on Union troops stationed at Clinton, roughly ten miles northwest of Jackson. However, Pemberton and his senior generals harbored concerns about Johnston’s strategy, perceiving it as overly perilous. They instead opted to target Union supply trains moving between Grand Gulf and Raymond, a decision that would prove consequential.
On May 16, Johnston reiterated his initial orders to Pemberton, but by then, Pemberton’s forces were already in motion, pursuing the supply trains. His army was positioned on Raymond Road, with its rear element near a crossroads one-third mile south of Champion Hill’s crest. This necessitated a countermarch, causing his substantial supply wagons and the rear of his force to become the advance, a chaotic and disadvantageous maneuver. Meanwhile, Major General Ulysses S. Grant received intelligence that Confederate forces were mobilizing eastward. Consequently, in the early morning of May 16, 1863, he directed his columns to advance westward from Bolton and Raymond. Around 7:00 a.m., the southernmost Union column made initial contact with Confederate pickets near the Davis Plantation, igniting the first shots of what would become the Battle of Champion Hill—the most decisive engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign.
The Battle of Champion Hill (May 16, 1863)
Also known as the Battle of Baker’s Creek, the Battle of Champion Hill was a large-scale conflict fought in Hinds County, Mississippi, led by Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton. The battle commenced on the morning of May 16, 1863, when Union forces engaged the Confederates. Pemberton’s troops had established a defensive line along a ridge crest, providing an advantageous overlook of Jackson Creek. Unbeknownst to Pemberton, a significant Union column was advancing along the Jackson Road, threatening his entirely unprotected left flank.
To safeguard his position, Pemberton deployed Brigadier General Stephen D. Lee’s brigade atop Champion Hill, tasking them with monitoring for the reported Union movement toward the crossroads. Lee’s men soon spotted the approaching Union troops, who simultaneously detected their Confederate counterparts. The realization dawned that if this Union force was not halted, it would effectively sever the Confederates’ crucial escape route to their Vicksburg stronghold. Upon receiving urgent warnings of the Union’s flanking maneuver, Pemberton swiftly redirected troops to reinforce his vulnerable left flank. Meanwhile, Union forces near the Champion House moved into position, deploying artillery to commence bombardment.
When Grant arrived at Champion Hill around 10:00 a.m., he immediately ordered a full-scale assault. By 11:30 a.m., Union forces had successfully breached the Confederate main line, and by approximately 1:00 p.m., they had seized the crest of Champion Hill, forcing the Confederate Rebels into a chaotic retreat. The Federals surged forward, capturing the vital crossroads and effectively closing off the Jackson Road, one of the primary escape routes. In a desperate attempt to regain control, one of Pemberton’s divisions launched a fierce counterattack, briefly pushing the Federals back beyond the Champion Hill crest before their momentum faltered.
Grant responded decisively, committing fresh forces that had just arrived from Clinton via Bolton. Pemberton’s exhausted and outnumbered men could not withstand this renewed assault, prompting him to issue a general retreat. Their only viable escape route remained the Raymond-Edwards Road, which crossed Bakers Creek. Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman’s brigade valiantly formed the rearguard, holding their ground at immense cost, including the tragic loss of Tilghman himself. In the late afternoon, Union troops successfully seized the Bakers Creek Bridge, and by midnight, they had occupied Edwards Station. The Confederate forces were now in full, disorganized retreat towards Vicksburg, facing imminent destruction if intercepted by the relentless Union pursuit.
As darkness fell and the guns fell silent, many believed the Battle of Champion Hill had concluded. However, the echoes of battle continued for the weary, outnumbered, and defeated Confederates as they desperately retreated towards Vicksburg to regroup. Under the cover of night, they attempted to cross the Big Black River Bridge, eight miles to the west, where another significant engagement awaited, leading to further losses of men and materiel. The Union victory at the Battle of Champion Hill came at a significant human cost, with an estimated 2,457 Union casualties and 4,300 Confederate casualties. In the aftermath, the area east of Vicksburg suffered extensive devastation, with depots, railroads, ferries, road bridges, and private homes all bearing the scars of war.
The Battle of Big Black River Bridge (May 17, 1863)
Occurring across Hinds and Warren Counties, this engagement is often simply referred to as the Battle of Big Black. It pitted Union Major General John A. McClernand against Confederate Brigadier General John S. Bowen. Reeling from their crushing defeat at Champion Hill, the Confederate forces reached the Big Black River Bridge during the night of May 16-17. Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, desperate to slow the Union advance, ordered Brigadier General John S. Bowen to position three brigades to man fortifications on the river’s east bank and obstruct any Union pursuit. Meanwhile, three divisions of Union Major General John A. McClernand’s XIII Army Corps marched out from Edwards Station on the morning of May 17.
The Union corps soon encountered the Confederates entrenched behind breastworks and were forced to take cover as enemy artillery began a barrage. However, Union Brigadier General Michael K. Lawler’s 2nd Brigade, part of Carr’s Division, executed a daring surge across the Confederate front, directly into the enemy’s breastworks, which were defended by Vaughn’s East Tennessee Brigade. Caught off guard and thrown into panic, the Rebels began a disorganized withdrawal across the Big Black River, utilizing both the railroad bridge and a steamboat dock moored across the river. As soon as they had safely crossed, the Confederates set fire to both bridges, effectively thwarting any immediate Union pursuit.
The Confederate troops who eventually reached Vicksburg later that day were disheveled and demoralized. The Union forces captured approximately 1,800 troops at the Big Black River, a critical loss the Confederates could ill-afford. This decisive battle effectively sealed Vicksburg’s fate, as the Confederate army was now completely bottled up within the city’s defenses. The Battle of Big Black River resulted in an estimated 273 Union casualties and 2,000 Confederate casualties. Both Federal and Southern troops then converged on Vicksburg, where the Union prepared to lay siege to the formidable
