Champion Heritage Foundation

07/05/2019

VNMP ACQUIRES CHAMPION HILL BATTLEFIELD PROPERTY
by Rebecca Blackwell Drake

On July 2, a large crowd gathered on the grounds of Champion Hill Missionary Baptist Church for an official announcement regarding the newly acquired battlefield acreage at Champion Hill. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History was proud to make public the transfer of 800 acres of Champion Hill battlefield property to the Vicksburg National Military Park. The 800 acres includes land along the historic Old Jackson Road in the heart of the battlefield. The land transfer is the largest expansion of the VNMP since it was established in 1899.

Plans are in the making for the Vicksburg National Military Park to develop the battlefields at Champion Hill and Raymond. Both would be an extension of the park and promote tourism.

In June of 2019, the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program provided a half million dollar grant to Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia for the protection of 131.49 acres of endangered battlefields. Mississippi received $109,806 as the state's part of the grant. The funds will be used to purchase 58 acres on the Champion Hill battlefield known as the Cal-Maine Foods Tract.

Present for the presentation were: Bill Justice, Vicksburg National Military Park superintendent who welcomed the crowd; Jim Woodrick, historian with the Mississippi Department of Archives & History, who gave an overview of the battle of Champion Hill; Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith represented the State of Mississippi; Bob Vogel, Southeastern Regional Director, National Park Service; Brig Gen Robert Crear, president, Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign and John Nau, board member of the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park & Campaign. Reverend Milton Miles, pastor of Champion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, gave the invocation.

The Battle of Champion Hill, recognized as the decisive battle of the Vicksburg Campaign, was fought on May 16, 1863. It occurred midway between Bolton and Edwards following three Confederate defeats: Port Gibson, May 1, Raymond, May 12, and Jackson, May 14. Champion Hill was one of the hardest fought battles in Grant’s Campaign for Vicksburg. Approximately 54,000 soldiers were engaged in fierce combat for a major part of the day that ended in a Confederate defeat. The combined total of casualties numbered approximately 6,000. The Confederates retreated to the Big Black River where, on the morning of May 17, they made their last unsuccessful stand before racing for Vicksburg.

During the 150th Anniversary Event (May 2013) http://battleofchampionhill.org/2013_event.htm, sponsored by the Champion Heritage Foundation, Champion Hill Memorial Medallions were presented to descendants whose ancestor fought in the battle. As a result, the Champion Heritage Foundation was able to identify the names of 897 soldiers, Union and Confederate, who were killed or died of their wounds at Champion Hill. The list of names can be found on the : Champion Hill website. http://battleofchampionhill.org/killed.htm

Of our nation’s battlefields, Edwin C. Bearss, former chief historian of the National Park Service, stated, "As we Americans celebrate our diversity, so we must affirm our unity if we are to remain the 'one nation' to which we pledge allegiance. Such great national symbols and meccas as the Liberty Bell, the battlefields on which our independence was won and our union preserved, the Lincoln Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and numerous other treasures of our national park system belong to all of us, both legally and spiritually. These tangible evidences of our cultural and natural heritage help make us all Americans."

12/26/2018

History of bridges over the Big Black River was posted on the Battle of Champion Hill website, http://battleofchampionhill.org.

09/11/2018

Directions to the 2018 Event

Grant's March - Scenic Route
Take I-20 to Bolton Exit 27. Turn south on the Brownsville-Bolton Road and continue south to Bolton center, thru the 4-way stop and across the railroad for 1.0 mile. Turn right and go west on the Champion Hill Road for 3.7 miles to the event. Note the traces of the sunken road used by Grant's army alongside the present road.

Alternate Routes
From Vicksburg take I-20 to Exit 19, Edwards. At the 4-way stop, turn left (east) on the South Frontage Road and go 4.1 miles to the S. Farr Road. Turn right and go 0.7 miles south to the intersection with the Champion Hill Road. Turn right for 0.1 miles to the event.

From Jackson take I-20 to Exit 27, Bolton. Take the North Frontage Road for west for 3.2 miles to the S. Farr Road. Turn left and go 1 mile south to the Champion Hill Road. Turn right for 0.1 miles to the event.

From Raymond, take the Raymond-Bolton Road to Bolton. Turn left on the Champion Hill Road (first left after passing over Snake Creek) and go west for 3.7 miles to the event.

08/10/2018

09/11/2017

154th Anniversary Event Rained Out



New Historic Marker, "Bowen's Counterattack"

A new historic marker, "Bowen’s Counterattack" was permanently placed at the Crossroads next to the 2013 marker, "The Fight for the Crossroads." To date, the Champion Heritage Foundation has placed nine historic markers on the battlefield.

"Bowen’s Counterattack" marker was partially funded by the COL Egbert Jones Camp 357 from Huntsville, Alabama. A special thanks to Gregg and Nathan Miller for spearheading these efforts. Had the event taken place as scheduled on May 20th, members of Huntsville SCV Camp 357 would have had the honor of unveiling the new marker.

03/11/2016

The Champion Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce that two new historic markers were erected on the Champion Hill Battlefield during the month of January 2016. The markers, produced by the Champion Foundation, are situated on Champion property where the 3rd Battery, Ohio Light Artillery, was stationed during the final hours of the highly contested battle on May 16, 1863.

The marker to the left features sketches made from this site by Theodore Davis, famous Civil War sketch artist who worked for Harper's Weekly Magazine. The sketches show the 3rd Battery, Ohio Light Artillery shelling the Confederate forces while the other depicts Grant with his staff "in a hurry" as DeGolyer's 8th Michigan Battery unlimbered their cannon. The 8th Michigan Battery later moved to the next ridge about 1/4 mile west.

03/09/2015

152nd Anniversary Event to Emulate 1890 Reunion

In 1890, six-thousand veterans, Blue and Gray, assembled on the battleground at Champion Hill to commemorate the 27th Anniversary of the battle of Champion Hill. This year, on May 16, the Champion Heritage Foundation plans to emulate the 1890 event, complete with a barbecue lunch and a distinguished speaker. In addition, there will be other activities to delight the crowd: music, varied exhibits, strolls to the Hill of Death, vendors, book signings, a raffle for two quilts and a framed print and much-much more.
The massive gathering of 1890 was one of the first of its kind to bring Union and Confederate veterans together. Event organizers, Sid Champion II, Clay Sharkey and citizens of Bolton and Edwards, planned the impressive picnic that turned out one of the largest crowds ever in Mississippi history. The veterans enjoyed visiting, shaking hands and sharing stories of the war. The highlight of the 1890 gathering was a speech given by Stephen D. Lee, former Confederate general who played a significant role in the battle. This year, the event speaker will be Bertram Hayes-Davis, the great-great grandson of Jefferson and Varina Davis.
The Battle of Champion Hill was fought midway between Edwards and Bolton on May 16, 1863, when Grant’s force of 30,000 met Pemberton's force of 22,000. The hard-fought battle ended when the Confederates were shattered and forced to retire from the field and race for Vicksburg.
The 152nd commemoration will be held on the same grounds as in 1890. The Champion Heritage Foundation will provide tours to other portions of the battlefield. Champion Hill MB Church members will prepare barbecue plate lunches, $10 a plate—to be enjoyed while listening to Angel Bandit's Bluegrass Strings and the Lewis Family Gospel Singers.

Admission free/Donations accepted