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Summary
of Our Last Meeting:
- Harold Miederhoff presided over the
meeting.
It was announced that Jim McGhee would be taking over the publication
of the Monthly Newsletter. Jim replaces Bill Lay who had held the job
for a number of years. Bill has done an excellent job for the
Round Table and has on numerous occasions helped the webmaster of this
website with everything from Missouri history to general history of
the Civil War. Thank you Bill. Your help and service is much
appreciated.
- Andy Papin presented to us an excellent program on
"The Battle of Champion's Hill" Champion's
Hill was part of the Vicksburg Campaign of Grant. By April 1863,
Grant managed to establish a land and water route along the west
bank of the Mississippi and swing his army around to the river 30
miles below Vicksburg. Crossing the river, Grant marched northeast
toward Jackson. His objective was to cut Vicksburg's ties with the
rest of the Confederacy and isolate the fortress city on the river.
If Jackson were taken then major supply arteries to Vicksburg would
be severed.
Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, reaching Jackson, Miss., ordered
Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, 14 May 1863, to march east and assail the
Union army near Clinton. By the time Pemberton joined his 22,000-man
army at Edward's Station, Miss., he had decided it would be
"extremely hazardous" to implement his superior's
instructions. A council of war determined that Pemberton would march
southeast and attack Union supply trains and reinforcements en route
from Grand Gulf to Raymond, Miss. On 15 May the army moved out, slowed
by delays for which Pemberton was responsible; by nightfall the column
had moved less than 5 mi.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant,
apprised of Johnston's plans, moved to intercept Pemberton, employing
the corps of Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson and John A. McClernand. Maj.
Gen. William T. Sherman's corps remained in Jackson. When Union troops
bivouacked on the 15th, 3 divisions were near Bolton on the Jackson
Road, 2 on the Middle Road, and 2 on the Raymond Road.
On the morning of the 16th
Pemberton's pickets clashed with Grant's approaching columns, and a
message came from Johnston reiterating an order to concentrate north
of the Southern Railroad. Pemberton issued orders to countermarch
through Edward's and out the Brownsville Road.
He was too late. McPherson
had advanced from Bolton and was nearing Champion's Hill, a commanding
elevation. To meet this threat, Pemberton deployed 3 brigades of Maj.
Gen. Carter L. Stevenson's division, while the divisions of Brig. Gen.
John S. Bowen and Maj. Gen. William Wing Loring fronted to the
southeast to counter McClernand's columns. At 10:30 Grant mounted an
attack on Stevenson. During the fighting, Champion's Hill and the
crossroads changed hands 3 times. Out-generaled, the Confederates by 5
p.m. were fleeing across Baker's Creek, leaving 27 cannon and hundreds
of prisoners on the field. In the retreat to the Big Black River,
Loring's division was cut off but eventually joined Johnston.
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