Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg

Rating:
Summary: Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg
Review: Although it was not known by either side at the time, the Battle of Champion Hill was the most important engagement in the Vicksburg Campaign. This was the last opportunity by Confederate forces to maneuver against their opponents before the siege of this key point on the Mississippi River. After the defeat the Rebel army defending the "Confederate Gibralter" was forced to operate within its formidable defenses, but without hope of resupply.
Most efforts at describing the campaign which split the Confederacy in two and ulitmately spelled its doom have focused on Union efforts to approach the fortress city and accounts of the siege once Confederate forces were trapped within the impressive defenses. Some historians, however, have seen its importance. J.F.C. Fuller described the battle in its proper perspective when he stated, "The drums of Champion's Hill sounded the doom of Richmond."
This battle eliminated the chance for the Confederate army guarding Vicksburg to breakout and to join the other Rebel army in the region to create a real challenge to Grant's Union forces and ensured the severing of the Confederacy into portions east and west of the Mississippi River. Although he was certainly famous prior to the Battle of Champion Hill, Grant would become the most powerful Union commander during the war and arguably began the long road to his presidency after the Vicksburg Campaign.
Only a handful of historians have tackled this monumental campaign with the attention it deserves. No one has, until now, concentrated on the Battle of Champion Hill. That has been remedied with this book by Timothy B. Smith, staff historian at Shiloh National Military Park. Dr. Smith has expanded his Ph.D. dissertation into this volume and the result is an excellent description of the battle.
As one would expect, there is a heavy reliance on the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion and secondary sources, but relatively few (by percentage of citations) diary and journal citations. The author does a superb job in recounting the story and placing the battle in its proper context within the campaign. His writing style is clear and concise. There are several strong points that add to the value of this volume. The excellent maps are plentiful, easy to read, very detailed, and are a great aid to the reader. There is an abundance of photographs of personalities from the campaign. The order of battle is very detailed, with the name of commanders down to regimental level. The postscript, entitled "Thereafter," lists the prominent personalities in the engagement and details what happened to their careers after the battle.
This book is a welcome addition to the literature of the War in the West, and in particular, the Vicksburg Campaign. Dr. Smith has done an excellent job in this fine scholarly effort.


Rating:
Summary: Impressive New Battle Study
Review: "Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg" is the first full-length study of this May 16, 1863, action in Mississippi. This is first and last a battle study, for there is little if any mention of socio-economic issues. Includes an overview of the war in the Western Theatre, and accounts of each preliminary action once General Grant's army crossed the Mississippi River to assault Vicksburg from below, including the battles at Port Gibson, Raymond, and Jackson. Most of the second half of the book is dedicated to Champion Hill, where the fighting is examined on the regimental level. The author's treatment of both sides is objective and evenhanded, though he does not hesitate to offer his own opinion and analysis. Based upon extensive firsthand archival research, this well written and illustrated account (38 maps and 74 photos, including modern photo "tour" of the battlefield and surrounding region) will appeal to every serious Civil War student. Maps, photos, bibliography, Order of Battle, extensive end notes, index. Highly recommended for all students of the war and most libraries.

Rating:
Summary: Long overdue, but failed to astound
Review: For those of you who believe that the Civil War was won in the west, Champion Hill is the critical battle of the war. With Pemberton's army driven from the field in disorder, the fall of Vicksburg was a foregone conclusion, splitting the Confederacy in two, forcing the surrender of 30,000 men, freeing the Mississippi River up to Union navigation, and propelling Grant into command of all Union forces. As such, this book is long overdue, and is a must-have for anyone who wants an in-depth look into the events that damned the Confederacy to defeat on that fateful day.

However, the author's personal bias left me with a distaste for many of his conclusions. He derides McPherson for what seems to me to be a very competent course of action at Raymond when using his leading 3 brigades to sweep aside 1.5 veteran brigades of the enemy in six hours. How he can do this with a straight face while praising McClernand at Port Gibson for using 3 divisions to sweep aside 1 veteran division of the enemy in 12 hours escapes me.

He then goes on later to conclude that McClernand's main body, pinging away at skirmishers less than one mile from the critical crossroad while the battle raged for several hours, was prevented from bringing on a general engagement by Grant's order of the previous day to move with caution and avoid a general engagement. McClernand's men make it clear that they watched the right flank of a large enemy force march past them as the counter attack sent Hovey's division fleeing back down Champion Hill, and Smith even reports that the sounds of battle were so loud that they shattered windows in Vicksburg almost 20 miles away. You would think that McClernand could have surmised that the engagement was already general in nature.

On the other hand, Smith all but suggests that Grant was babysitting McPherson, who apparently could barely walk and breathe at the same time, on the Jackson Road. It seems pretty obvious to the unbiased observer that Grant was riding on the Jackson Road because... oh, I don't know... he had just come from Jackson? And he was certainly going to stay on the Jackson Road, given that it was becoming quickly obvious that the decisive movement of the campaign was about to take place there.

Smith seems to give great effort into tracing the exact movements of the Confederate regiments, yet cannot seem to explain exactly how the regiments of Slack's Brigade reversed marching order on the approach to Champion Hill. Having walked the battlefield, I wonder what part was played by the creek that forms a very deep ravine just east of the Jackson Road. The banks of this creek drop 40 feet or so at some points into a sandy bottom with flat land on the far side, with similar type of terrain rising from the creek as it cuts into Boll's Hill. Did the errant Confederate skirmish line fail to keep up with the Confederate line because they were cut off by this creek? Did the 47th IN change facing, cross the creek, and chase the Confederate skirmishers up Boll's Hill quite a distance? This would mean that, instead of dissipating in the face of McClernand's skirmishers like a skirmish line normally would, they probably stiffened and formed line. Since this probably confused McClernand and seemed to excuse his inactivity somewhat, you would think Smith would take note of it, but neither the creek nor the terrain surrounding the creek is mentioned or included in the maps.

He also seems to drop the ball on where federal fulcrum broke the Confederate line, placing the joint between the 34th GA and the 39th GA on top of Champion Hill when I believe it was probably about 60-80 yards down Lee's Ridge. Here a succession of ravines and ridges would have hidden the federal approach from the Confederate line until fifty yards away. The federals were in double line, but given that Cummings was overextended in order to meet Lee's right flank, the Confederates were probably in single rank. This meant that the surprised Confederates would have only gotten one shot off, and a bad one at that as the right of the 29th WI and the left of the 24th IN came over this ridge. The federal line hit the dirt when it saw the Confederates aiming, then jumped up, fired, charged down the first ravine while the second line fired and followed. The fifty yards would have been covered in probably 10-15 seconds, and the resulting hand-to-hand combat split Cumming's northern facing line down the middle, with the 34th fleeing over the hill and the 39th fleeing down the hill. This seems to have allowed the right of the 29th WI to lap around Champion Hill and into the ravine in the rear of the Cummings' eastern facing line, rendering his entire line untenable. Smith seems to put a great deal of emphasis on the vulnerable apex of Cummings' line and the efforts of the 24th IA, but Sgt. Obenchain's description seems to suggest that the real threat came from the other side of the hill. The fact that a massive burial pit can be found just behind this location seems to support the idea that the most deadly part of the initial attack took place here.

Overall, this book is a valuable wealth of information on the battle. I simply felt that, since this is THE book on Champion Hill, it could have been done more thoroughly and without the interjection of certain points that, in my opinion, are not supported entirely by the facts.



Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking Study, Long Overdue
Review: I am an avid reader and active freelance reviewer of military history (especially World War II, Civil War, and the late Roman Republic and early Imperial age) and 20th century American politics. I obtained an early copy from advancebookreivews.com and read it in four days. This is the first book on this lesser-known battle, though it was without doubt the most important of the entire Vicksburg Campaign (late 1862-July 4, 1863). I suspect Amazon is going to sell a lot of these books.

Thankfully, Dr. Smith's study was not written in a vacuum. Early chapters are dedicated to the background and development of the war in the Western theater and the Vicksburg Campaign in particular. These chapters include solid accounts of Grant's planning, the structure of the armies, the river crossing below Vicksburg, and the fighting at Port Gibson, Raymond, and Jackson. Smith carves some new ground here with his good use of common soldier observations. His evaluation of the battles follows traditional interpretation: Grant's plan was bold, Pemberton wasted opportunities to strike Grant early and hard, and Joe Johnston jumped to the rear and evacuated Jackson even before he could have known Grant was turning to strike him. James McPherson is chastised for his loss of control at Raymond.

The meat of the book begins with Chapter 5 and sets the stage of the pending clash the following morning at Champion Hill. Smith has a wonderful grasp of the terrain (it was as wild as the Wilderness and as haphazard Gettysburg, all rolled into one) and he describes it well. That is fortunate, because if you do not understand it, you cannot understand this confusing (if only moderate sized) battle.

MAPS: If you like them, you will love this book because there are dozens of them, and each is outstanding. The maps are worth the price of the book. There are dozens of photos, spread through the text, and a nice selection of modern photos keyed to a battlefield map. All of this really helps readers understand and visualize what is being described. The publisher designed an outstanding product.

The battle erupts early in the morning, and it is obvious Pemberton is not ready and has no plan to counter it. Indeed, he is in the act of withdrawing. The key is a crossroads that Grant is desperate to grab. If Pemberton loses it, his army will be trapped. Grant's three way offensive holds Pemberton in place and turns and crushes his left flank. One of the most amazing firsthand accounts is what must be a very lengthy letter from a Confederate officer named William Drennan to his wife, written just days after the battle ended. Smith uses it to advantage throughout the book. Drennan was on General Featherston's brigade staff (Loring's division), and mixed freely with the army's high ranking officers. What he heard and saw gives credence to post-battle accusations that Loring (and others) not only hated Pemberton but deliberately (on several occasions) disobeyed him. They laughed at him and spoke so ill of their commander that Drennan worried it would bring about a disaster. Drennan offers some kind words for Pemberton, but the ultimate responsibility for the defeat is his, though these men played a role in it.

Smith's coverage of the battle is balanced and objective. The coverage slides from macro strategic issues to company-level tactical action. The writing is fast-paced and full of action and analysis. He does not follow an exact chronological account, so there is some overlap that I found confusing at times, but overall it works very well. The firsthand accounts from soldiers in the ranks are vivid and detailed. Smith provides useful biographical portraits of nearly every prominent (and some not so prominent) officer, and does not shy away from giving his opinion of a decision. Make sure and read the explanatory end notes, which are lengthy and very informative. You will only get half the story if you skip these.

"Champion Hill" is based on primary materials and Smith does not always accept them as gospel as so many writers do. His interpretation of the battle differs from other historians and is much richer and fuller. McClernand messed up by not being as aggressive as he could have been, but I understand why for the first time (there are reasonable mitigating circumstances). McPherson seems to have been a cipher during the battle. Grant stayed by his side and was active; McPherson was a spectator. Carter Stevenson (a Confederate division leader) was way over his head and Stephen Lee, a brigade commander, effectively led the division once the fighting began. Pemberton was busy without reward. One thing that fascinated me was where, how, and what was accomplished by the 12th Louisiana and 35th Alabama regiments of Buford's brigade. They arrived near the crossroads late in the battle and literally saved Pemberton's army (at least according to Smith). The lengthy notes on their actions make it clear he gave a lot of thought to their involvement. He also pieced together opposing firsthand accounts that led him to conclude how and who killed a Missouri regimental commander. The angst-filled story about the Confederate French artillery officer was poignant.

The author follows the retreating Confederates to Vicksburg, offers a brief history of the siege and surrender, and an epilogue of what happened to the main characters after the battle.

Every author believes their subject is very important, but Smith argues Champion Hill was one of the war's decisive battles. He might be right. After months of failure, a sharp defeat at Champion Hill may well have ended Grant's career. His victory led to the fall of Vicksburg, and Grant went on to higher command and ended the war by defeating Robert E. Lee-which earned him a ticket to the white house.

I highly recommend this book. If you like battle histories, buy one today. You will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: The Good Stuff!
Review: Often, civil war battle studies disappoint. Not enough detail or enough maps/pictures to visually augment the narrative and orient the reader. Frequently, gobs of assumption with little scholarship or research. Sometimes a prejudice about a particular commander or ignorance about a particular manuever will spoil the whole treatise.

This isn't the case with Tim Smith's definitive coverage of the Battle for Vicksburg, with emphasis on the Champion Hill Battle. He gives you the context but hones in on the Champion Hill struggle as the prelude to the inevitable surrender of Vicksburg. He is objective, articulate, descriptive, precise and interesting in the narrative but he doesn't leave you behind somewhere in the ravines and thickets east of Vicksburg either.

This is a battle study. And you can use the book with current photos and historical maps to study the battle. I'm not sure that anyone could improve on this volume.

Rating:
Summary: A new "turning point" of the war?
Review: REVIEW

CHAMPION HILL - DECISIVE BATTLE FOR VICKSBURG, by Dr. Timothy B. Smith, published by Savas Beatie LLC, is a must read for those convinced that the Western Campaign of America's Civil War is as important as the battles east of the Appalachian Mountains. Dr. Smith has taken much effort to provide his readers with information concerning the major participants in the struggle for the Fortress City on the Mississippi River. By telling us about these individuals with well constructed and crisp writing, as well as providing photographs of a great majority of them, we are able to place faces with names while learning about the decisive battle of the campaign.
Dr. Smith also provides a unique collection of maps of the area in Mississippi as well as the battlefield itself which further allows the reader to place formerly little known places such as the Shaiffer House, at Port Gibson, Fourteen Mile Creek and Utica Road at Raymond, Ratliff Road, Middle Road, Raymond Road and Jackson Road at Champion Hill in perspective. His effort to show, with his excellent maps of troop movements on the battlefield between Baker's Creek and Jackson Creek at Champion Hill make his effort of great value above and beyond his excellent narrative of the events leading up to the battle as well as the battle itself.
A detailed but brief synopsis of General Pemberton's six successful repulses of Grant's Federal Armies' attempt to take Vicksburg serve well to show the dilemma of the northern-born Southern general. He simply had to be perfect each time, and the seventh time, he was not. They likewise show the bull-dog tenacity of the Ohio born Federal general; one that served him well for the duration of the war.
Smith leads his reader from Port Gibson, through Raymond and Jackson and leaves us well informed as to what happened at these lesser but vital battles that preceded the early May, 1863 battle of Champion Hill. His seven chapters concerning the battle itself leave much of the "blame" for Confederate failure at Pemberton's doorstep, but Dr. Smith also points out well that the lack of support from Pemberton's department commander, General Joe Johnson, the lack of cooperation by his own commanders and the before mentioned tenacity of General Ulysses Grant must also share in the final affect of the campaign on the Confederate Gibraltar on the Mississippi River.
Also, the seemingly unimportance of Steele's foray to Greenwood, Mississippi and Grierson's more well known raid through central Mississippi is shown by Dr. Smith as having been far more important than many have previously felt. The eventual success of the entire Vicksburg Campaign, Smith seems to feel, was a result of much previous planning, several previous setbacks and the daily Herculean efforts of the common soldier of the United States.
This effort is a must read for Western Theater fans and should also be read by those, not as much interested in taking sides of importance to the entire war, wanting to know the war in its entirety. Perhaps we have yet another offering for the always elusive "turning point" of the Civil War.


Rating:
Summary: An extremely well-developed and unbiased battle study.
Review: Smith's Champion Hill is a powerful study, and much better than I was expecting. The caveat is that you have to enjoy real old-fashioned battle studies-and I don't mean the politically correct drivel that is pouring out of academia today dwelling on the home front and social and economic issues first, and the fighting second. That has its place (maybe), but not when dealing with single battles. This is a BATTLE STUDY, and Smith makes that plain right up front. I liked that. If you liked Robert Krick's "Jackson Cedar Mountain," Wiley Sword's Shiloh: Bloody April," or any of Gordon Rhea's recent works, you will love Champion Hill. You might even like it more, because let's face it-we all know something about the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Shiloh, etc. How much to do really know about the regiments and command decisions at Champion Hill?

The book is a wonderful overview of the entire campaign. One chapter on the background, and separate chapter on each battle leading up to Champion Hill, and many long (LONG) chapters on the battle itself. He concludes with a wonderful moving chapter dealing with the aftermath of the battle, and a short follow-up placing the battle in the context of the campaign in general and the war as a whole. His aftermath tells you, in short paragraphs, what happened to the men of Champion Hill. For the first time, I really think I understand the Vicksburg Campaign.

[...]

One of the first things I do when I get a book is look at the bibliography. This book is jammed with first person accounts, primary sources, official reports, letter collections, and so on. Having never written a full-length book, I can't even imagine how difficult the task must be. But if an author spends years traveling to repositories, researching, sifting, thinking, walking the field, and finally, writing the book, then I think the author has not only the right, but the obligation to provide his personal, thoughtful, opinion on matters of import. Smith does not hesitate to do so, and I thank him for it. Does this mean his word is gospel? No. Do I agree with all his conclusions? No. I think he was a bit too easy on McClernand, and perhaps a tad too hard on Carter Stevenson. But . . . Dr. Smith has read 100 times more material on this battle than I have. It is something like looking at a movie screen through a straw (me) and having an opinion as to the plot, and studying the entire movie with your eyes (him) and having an opinion on the plot. His has to be more informed than mine. I might be wrong on McClernand; he might be wrong; but I thank him for digging, thinking, and providing an alternative point of view for me to ponder. Same thing goes for McPherson. I have always wondered about that officer (Sherman, too, who was not in my opinion a top field officer in the mold of Grant, Lee, Jackson, or Meade). What did he do at CH? I am not sure, but it does not seem like he did much. But, we will never know for sure, will we?

If you want to read something fresh about an important battle, in a book that is long (500+ pages), well illustrated (about 70 photos or so), and has the best maps I have ever seen in a battle book (38 of them), get Champion Hill. You won't be disappointed. It is the book of the year, and I am willing to wager it wins at least one award. I would have given it ten stars. Highly recommended.



Rating:
Summary: Sets the Standard for battle History
Review: The reading Civil War battle histories can be very enjoyable or an exercise in frustration depending on the author's ability to explain the battle. Many times the reader's prior knowledge of the battle becomes critical to the enjoyment of the book. Noah Andre Trudeau once apologized for writing another book on Gettysburg. His point was with so many Gettysburg books on the market reading a book on Gettysburg is like visiting a childhood friend. Only a few words are necessary to recall shared experiences from a long acquaintance. Other battles are strangers we may have heard about but lack knowledge of. This lack of shared experiences and the common ground of an old friend can make an introduction awkward and difficult. Becoming "lost" on the battlefield is a common problem as the action moves past but leaves us clueless to the importance or location of the event. The "little picture" takes full control leaving the reader with only the vaguest idea of how we arrived on the field, why we are fighting the battle or where we will go afterwards. The less prior knowledge you have of the battle, the more likely you are to encounter problem understanding the battle. This book will often end up on eBay or sitting in the bookcase with a scrap of paper marking where you gave up. We all have bought this book and each time we wonder, "What is it that makes a good battle history?" What do we need when being introduced to a battle to make a pleasant and informative beginning? What will keep our interest and make us want to finish reading the book? "Champion Hill Decisive Battle for Vicksburg" by Timothy B. Smith from Savas Beatie LLC is a battle book that can answer these questions.

Civil War buffs are familiar with Grant's Vicksburg Campaign; some of us can even name most of the battles. We know that the battle of Champion Hill located between Jackson and Vicksburg is the critical battle of the campaign. Grant's defeat of Pemberton caused the latter be trapped in Vicksburg and forced to surrender on July 4, 1863. Good start, now how much do we really know about this battle? Champion Hill, as most western battles, suffers from a lack of available books making a new book something of an event. Sam Elliott, the actor and Civil War author, has characterized Tim Smith as "a fine young Civil War scholar". This book shows why he can say that. The writing is sure, swift moving and compelling. The opening chapter outlines the frustration of the Vicksburg Campaign while introducing the main characters. This gives us an understanding of how few options Grant had and why he chose what many considered the most dangerous one.

This is a battle history. The promise is a battle and a battle is what they deliver! In the package is a clear concise, descriptive account of the campaign that ends in the siege of Vicksburg. Not one battle, but Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill and Big Black occur during the nineteen days of May between crossing the Mississippi River and arriving at Vicksburg. Thirty-eight maps ensure we don't get lost or have to go searching for a map. The map you need is always on the page or only a couple of pages away. I never had to bookmark a map or try to figure where the action is with a map that did not fit. Theodore P. Savas did the maps. As the editor, he makes sure the maps are informative, timely, detailed and easy to read. Photographs of the people involved, while never required add a nice touch. They help the reader see the characters as flesh and blood people, giving them a face in a way that words alone will not do. The book gives us seventy-eight photographs of the characters and puts them where we encounter this person. I find this nicer than a section of photographs in the middle of the text. Something else I like is the 16 page "Modern Photographic Gallery" of the battlefield with a map showing the location and angle of view of the photographs. No matter where I was in the book, I always had access to a map, pictures of the participants and in the back a view of the terrain. This made for a very smooth and enjoyable introduction to the battle of Champion Hill. The chapter on the aftermath details how the loss at Champion Hill drives Pemberton into Vicksburg, the impact on his men and the sever loss of materials is very well done. Equally informative is how victory lifted the spirits of Grant's men, built confidence in them selves and in their leaders. This explains the collapse of Pemberton's army and the hasty retreat into the Vicksburg fortifications. "Thereafter" gives us a short what happened to of many of the people involved, who survived the war, what they did and where the others died. Notes, index and Order of Battle complete the book.

Of more than passing interest, Tim Smith takes the side of General John A. McClernand, something very few historians do. More than one Net ACW group has had an extended debate on this. I expect the subject that will only heat up as more people read the book. His treatment of McClernand is very evenhanded, reporting when he did well at Port Gibson and badly at Champion Hill. However, it is clear that Mr. Smith does not share the standard historical view of the man. This is an interesting development and it remains to be seen where it will go. Are we seeing the start of another rethinking of ACW history or this is an idea that will go nowhere? Using the author's support of McClernand to dismiss the book is a very bad idea and those this do will be the poorer for it.

What we have is an exceptionally good battle history, complete with maps and photographs. This may not be the best battle history ever written but it is one that should be in your library and sets a standard that other's should try to reach.


Rating:
Summary: Thorough, well written battle history; great maps.
Review: This book is an effective and enjoyable battle history of the battle of Champion Hill, the critical engagement in the equally critical Vicksburg campaign. Smith does an excellent job of setting the strategic and operational context of the battle, both in terms of its preliminaries and aftermath. That said the bulk of the narrative is a detailed description, with analysis, of what happened at Champion Hill. As good as the narrative is, what really sets the book apart is the number and quality of the battle maps. Other writers should follow Smith's example in this regard!

Smith's analysis at times (for example his treatment of McPherson and McClernand) goes against conventional opinion. In my view, his analysis is credible, even if not always convincing. As for his descriptions of the topography, I haven't walked the ground - though, having read Smith's book, I feel like I have.