Champion Hill Battlefield | History on Location | Vicksburg - 6

The sixth in a series exploring the locations associated with the Union attempts to take the stronghold of Vicksburg during the American Civil War. In this episode, we explore one of the most important battles of the war, the Battle of Champion Hill.
See episode 1 here - • Early Failures | Histo...
Future episodes:
7 - Vicksburg
8 - Vicksburg National Cemetery
9 - USS Cairo
More about the ABT and their work to preserve this battlefield here - www.battlefiel...
Learn more about the Champion Family here - battleofchampio...
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#History #Vicksburg #AmericanCivilWar @American Battlefield Trust ​

[@elliottjames8020]

You're so right, Champion Hill is an incredibly significant battle. Trouble is, like most of the Western Theater battles it's overlooked.

[@ryanburns6780]

Following Champion Hill, General Loring wrote to his wife: "Pemberton is either the worst general in either army or he's a traitor; I've yet to figure out which."

[@nickshaffer9961]

It’s great to see just the interest in telling a story. No agenda or anything along those lines. Just the story of what happened whether it be Confederate or Union. You’re channel is a breath of fresh air and every day I look forward to a new video!

[@highjumpstudios2384]

It's like lifting your head out of a laundry basket.

[@dylanjames7082]

My Greatx3 Uncle took a shell to the chest here that he lived with for two months. He captured an enemy flag at Port Gibson on May 1st. He's buried today at the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

[@richardharp4398]

General E. Kirby Smith lead E company. My 4th great grandfather Menton Isaiah Harp (spelled wrong on the muster roll as Minton J. Or M. J. Harp) fought along side his brother William Harp at Champion Hill. I read where he lost an eye at this battle. He and William went on to be captured at Vicksburg July 3rd. They were paroled, and never rejoined. They were considered deserters. I’m sure glad he survived because… Well, I exist because of the family he started after the war. Chilling to think.

[@chriswalker7165]

Definitely one of the best videos on Champion’s Hill.

[@msspi764]

What makes Champion Hill battlefield so difficult to visit is that it’s so little changed from the time of the battle. The actual hill is gone, mined for gravel, but the ridge is still there, just as wooded and filled with hard to navigate ravines as it was in 1863. That’s one of the things that’s so special about Port Gibson, Raymond, and Champion Hill. When you read primary accounts of the battles you realize that what was farmland then is farmland now, what was wooded with difficult undergrowth is almost always wooded now. What was the dirt Jackson Road from the crossroads to what is now Champion Hill Road is a dirt farm road now.

[@msspi764]

Much has happened in the last couple of years. At the time you were there the NPS had already acquired the Coker House and the land east and west of the Champion family land. The American Battlefield Trust had by that time acquired part ownership in the Champion family land and purchased several other smaller plots around the crossroads. Now (2022-2023) the ABT has acquired full ownership of the Champion land except for a small part north of Champion Hill Road. All of this shows up on the ABT maps of the battlefield.

[@fallen6585]

I love you so much your very cool!

[@lofttm969]

You captured the magic of being there really well with the music and b roll shots. If you ever find yourself near front royal va to do one of these and need a place to stay don’t hesitate to ask subs - lot of us would be thrilled to have you

[@Mathadar]

Thank you for sharing this. This battle was key to winning at Vicksburg. I had not heard this battle described as such a big deal, even though it was relatively low on casualties compared to larger battles, it was no less important. Without the Battle of Champion Hill, Vicksburg would have taken much longer to fall.

[@TribeTaz]

Great video. Wish more people knew about this battle. Thanks for sharing this

[@slippymississippi]

Johnston fled 20 miles north of Jackson, 50 miles from Pemberton in Edwards. If Johnston was wanting to combine forces with Pemberton, he was moving almost the opposite direction he needed to be moving. 😀 Johnston’s orders to Pemberton really make no sense except as a veiled command to abandon Vicksburg to the federal army.

[@slippymississippi]

Pemberton did come out of the city, but he left 1/3 of his troops behind to defend Vicksburg / Snyder’s Bluff. When Grant began moving up the east side of the Big Black River, Pemberton ventured out to the railroad bridge and began extending the fortifications there. When Bowen pointed out that the position could easily be turned by several crossings upstream (Messingers, Bridgeport, Bush, Birdsong), Pemberton moved to Edwards Station and began fortifying there. Both McClernand and Sherman closed to within attacking distance of Edwards on the 12th; the same day McPherson fought at Raymond.

[@tgc93]

I live 4 hours from Vicksburg. I need to make the drive over there one weekend.

[@kc-mq3cx]

I'm currently reading a book by Timothy B. Smith called Champion Hill, so it's nice to have an image of some of the landscape, thanks.

[@MassimoVas]

Your ability to tell stories combined with your knowledge makes an impressive outcome. Thanks for getting me to know this battle I didn’t know. Greetings!

[@johnkeller441]

My Great Grandfather, PVT John Keller of the 6th Wisconsin Battery of Light Artillery, was wounded here at Champion Hill. He was under the cannon ramrodding the charge and ball when the charge was prematurely "torched off" in the "heat of Battle.! While holding on to the White Oak ramrod, he was blown into the Confederate lines and was not found until the evening when the Union Soldiers were searching for wounded. The ramrod had shattered and pieces of the wood had gone through both hands and his left arm and wrist. He was sent to recuperate at Memphis and went back to battle in the early Fall, but developed a Hernia at Donaldsonville and was subsequently mustered out at Camp Randall in Madison in October, 1864.

[@leid.el07]

shame on that one dislike how can you not like this content

[@mitchellhedden1978]

Great job.

[@danieln.1034]

Thank you for the story! Beautifully told

[@johnjamesbaldridge867]

By Golly, you've done it. You've taken the boring, rambling, "walk and talk" format and turned into a proper genre worthy of respect. I know there are a few others (Tom Scott comes to mind), but you upped the game with concise and informative captioning, scripted and rehearsed narration (I'm assuming), strategic high-quality camera placement, well-chosen music at the proper volume, and polished post-production. Have you considered using a drone? That could be utterly spectacular. I am now looking forward to your road trip videos even more than your reaction ones. Who woulda' thunk?

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

You'll see my drone footage in several other videos in this series, just not this particular one.

[@johnjamesbaldridge867]

@@VloggingThroughHistory I now realize I have to go back and watch all of them. Binge!

[@liambenn1214]

You should do a video watching some of the battle scenes in the game "assassins creed 3". The story and game series itself isn't confined to one time period for reasons within the story, but the AC3 (short for assassins creed 3) was based in the American war of independence. It has important figures like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Lee (although he is by no means an accurate portrayal of the real life Charles) Samuel Adams and many more. It has some big battles from the time period and I think it would be really interesting for you to watch some scenes from the game (and all the other games for that matter) and critique how accurate they are to the real events and characters. I know this video isn't anything about the independence war or a reaction or anything, but the video reminded me of it and so I thought I would just post this comment to suggest it. Great video yet again, I don't know much about the civil war, and so these videos are really enlightening to not only be told what happened, but to see where it happened and how it happened.

[@phantomtitan9792]

I got to say you are a awesomeness tour guide.👍

[@BlueSideUp77]

Love your Vicksburg videos!

[@markdurmilon6755]

Awesome…..original content!……I’ll not likely ever go there….. But I made it there today! 👍

[@richardpcrowe]

My second great grandrather was captured by Union Forces at Baker Creek and paroled. When exchanged, he did not return ro duty.

[@michaelaburns734]

Near the end of the story of Vicksburg Campaign.

[@pablo2448]

These videos are so good! Also, could you react to a video about Dom Pedro II? It would be interesting. Wonderfull guy.

[@ryanburns6780]

Upon his death, Sid Champion IV is donating all of the land to the National Park Service.

[@cheesuschrisp931]

Im from northeast Louisiana, and I would have loved to come out to the battlegrounds and hear the story of the battle in its entirety. Been going to the Vicksburg Battlefield park since I was little. It wasnt until I was older, that I fully grasped the magnitude of what happened there. Did you happen to visit the Vicksburg courthouse or Winter Quarters in St. Joseph, La.?

[@tcr7436]

So why didnt Johnston attack from the rear?

[@ArmenianBishop]

John Clifford Pemberton's nephew, John Stith Pemberton, invented & patented the Coca Cola recipe; eventually he sold it to the people who made a fortune from it. J. S. Pemberton suffered a saber wound at the Battle of Columbus (April 16, 1865). The Coca Cola Beverage served as a painkiller.

[@SonnyKnutson]

@Vlogging Through History Feedback! Can you please add voice over for the text you add in the start etc? I (and I guess many others) watch your stuff with wireless headset and walk around doing things in the house. I would love to be able to hear what the text says instead of having to read it :D

[@pfortner9699]

Thank you for the video. I would have assumed that Champion Hill got it's name from this battle, but in the quote on the plague it's already called Champion Hill. Was it called that before or did it got the name quickly after or even during the battle?

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

The battle was named for the Sid Champion property and the hill it was situated on. It was often called "Champion's Hill" at the time. So yes, the hill had the name before the battle.

[@pfortner9699]

@@VloggingThroughHistory Thanks for the answer, much appreciated.

[@ryanburns6780]

@@pfortner9699 You'll also see it listed at times as the Battle of Baker's Creek. That was the name that the Confederates gave to the battle, which is a bit ironic considering that Northerners were usually the ones who named battles after creeks and rivers.

[@polishsmolish19]

Awesome video! I’m loving this series. Say, are you thinking about doing any history stuff out West where we could go an meet up? I’d love to meet you but Mississippi is a little too far.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

I’ll definitely be getting out west hopefully soon

[@polishsmolish19]

@@VloggingThroughHistory awesome

[@bernardopena1601]

I'm going in 2 days. Can we hike the Champion Hill Battlefield?

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

There are a few areas that are public land but much of it is still owned by the Champion family.

[@highjumpstudios2384]

I don't wanna be that guy, but the one track you have starts to wear on the ears a little when you listen to these one after another

[@bavarian7606]

Do you happen to know if the 37th Alabama was involved in the Champion Hill ?

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

They were in Forney's Division which was not involved in this battle. I believe they stayed at Vicksburg.

[@jamiesoncollie6867]

I don’t know why but I feel more bad for the horses who get shot by artillery than the generals and soldiers. Though they were the Confederates I do feel a little sympathy for them.

[@europevisanews586]

Wt

[@Mackl0111]

why do these vids have so little views

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

Just not nearly as popular as the reaction stuff. I wish it were.

[@cyan1153]

They get thousands of views. It’s like the combination of 5+ high school students watching this, so I wouldn’t say it’s little. However, compared to other views, it is less.

[@conradbrewer9825]

My ancestor Jabez Bledsoe of the 22nd Mississippi infantry was wounded and captured at Bakers Creek,Damn Yankees😡