Battle of Champion Hills

“Battle of Champion Hills, May 16th, 1863- the formidable position of General Pemberton carried by Generals Hovey, Logan and Crocker, of Grant’s army. On the morning of the 16th of May, General A. P. Hovey’s division, occupying the right of McClernand’s corps, encountered the Confederate pickets, but no engagement took place until about eleven o’clock, when the Indiana troops, led by General McGinnis, made a deliberate attack upon the rapidly increasing force which Pemberton had brought together at Champion Hills. Two batteries which had been planted along a high ridge were doing considerable damage, and it was finally determined to assault them. They were both taken by the Eleventh and Forty-sixth Indiana and the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin, after a fierce hand-to-hand fight; but the arrival of fresh Confederate troops and the want of re-enforcements prevented their being held for any length of time. The Federals withdrew, and remained under cover of their artillery till joined by part of Quimby’s late dvision, commanded by General Marcellus M. Crocker. Another advance was then ordered, and while Pemberton’s right was thus engaged Logan’s division attacked his left, and succeeded in flanking and in forcing it back in such manner as to completely isolate for awhile the whole of General Loring’s brigade, which occupied the extreme Confederate right. The attack was so fierce that Stevenson’s line became completely demoralized, yielded in turn, and by four o’clock the Confederates were in full retreat toward the Big Black River. Just then the other division of McClernand’s corps came upon the scene, and a pursuit was ordered by Generals Carr and Osterhaus. This lasted until dark, and resulted in the capture of many prisoners and arms of all descriptions. The total loss in killed and wounded on both sides approximated to 4,000."— Frank Leslie, 1896

Downloads