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The Union start their attack on Champion
Hill which will carry the position.
In May, 1863 Gen. Grant decided to isolate
Vicksburg and take the city. He planned to cut the railroad
that linked Vicksburg with Jackson by a swing to the
Northeast. Meanwhile Gen. Johnston was attempting to
concentrate his forces in the area of Jackson. On the
14th of May Gen. Sherman captured Jackson and stopped
the build up of Confederate forces.
Leaving Sherman's Corps to destroy Jackson's
rail system, Grant marched on Vicksburg. In the mean
time Gen. Pemberton had marched out of Vicksburg with
four of his five divisions.
The two forces met at The Battle of
Champion Hill. Initially the Union had the upper
hand, dislodging the Confederates from the top of the
hill and inflicting severe casualties on the Confederates.
Later in the day the division of Bowen
was launched in a counter-attack and re-took the hill.
Unfortunately for the rebels they did not have enough
troops to exploit the initial success of the attack.
The Union forces re-took the hill and advanced, making
the postions of the Confederates untenable. They withdrew
giving the Union the victory for The Battle of Champion
Hill.
Pemberton withdrew his forces into Vicksburg.
The siege would last a long time. However, when the
city eventually fell it made the Mississippi river a
Union waterway and cut the Confederacy in two, thus
marking the beggining of the end for the Confederacy
in the civil war.
TIPS
Although greatly outnumbered the Confederates
can win this by using one factor of this battle to their
advantage; the Union player really has no idea where
you are.
The biggest decision you have to make
it where to send Bowen, either North or South.
If he goes North, and Stevenson gives
ground, both divisions can counter-attack at the same
time and have a good chance against the Union.
If he goes South, he can link up with
Loring and have a very good chance of destroying the
Union brigades there.
Either way, try to hide where you are
going and launch a surprise attack somewhere. Hopefully
where the Union player least expects it.
The Union player has to do the opposite,
get out there and find the Confederate player's units
and engage them before they disappear. If you detect
the reb is moving south, you must chase after him or
your units to the south will be destroyed.
Moving Logan directly south through the
woods is also very effective. It threatens the Jackson
road and also the flank of any units defending Champion
Hill.
You also have to take at least the two
top most objectives. And once you have occupied them,
don't take it for granted you will keep them. You never
know where a Confederate brigade may turn up.
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