The decisive battle for the Vicksburg campaign occurred at Champion Hill

Champion Hill, Mississippi was an important battlefield in the Vicksburg campaign, as the decisive battle of the campaign was fought here. During his scavenging around the countryside in search of Grant's army, Pemberton got to know that a part of his rival's supply line was weakly fortified and easily accessible to his Confederate force. On the morning of May 15, 1863, Pemberton's force slowly advances toward the target. However, recent storms have ruined a bridge over Bakers Creek, necessitating a time-consuming detour for Pemberton to cross the stream. The Confederate force is poorly dispersed along winding roads when darkness falls on the 15th, with Bakers Creek to its rear.

In the meantime, Grant has acted swiftly. His three corps are moving west toward Vicksburg on three parallel axes. Pemberton's attenuated line lies directly across the path of the Federal juggernaut. At 7:30 am on May 16th, the head of Grant's southernmost column runs into Pemberton's right flank. At the same time, his two remaining columns are threatening the Confederate left flank near Champion Hill. The two sides vie for control of the hill for several bloody hours before the Federals' superiority in numbers compel the Confederates to withdraw. Only the skill of his junior officers and the bravery of his men save Pemberton from complete disaster, buying time for engineers to build a bridge over Bakers creek and allowing the bulk of Pemberton's army to escape intact. But the Confederates will never again have the chance to defeat the Union troops in the open field. Retreat to the trenches at Vicksburg is Pemberton's only option.