Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg

by Timothy B. Smith

Book Overview

The Battle of Champion Hill was the decisive land engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign. The May 16, 1863, fighting took place just 20 miles east of the river city, where the advance of Gen. Ulysses S.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932714006
• ISBN13: 9781932714005
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Savas Beatie
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Maps and more Maps

I am what is commonly referred to as a Civil War buff, what ever that means, and I feel compelled to write you about the work of Timothy B. Smith. My biggest frustration about a lot of books on the civil is the lack of good quality maps that allows the reader to get a sense of who was where and what was happening on the battlefield. How one could write an account of a battle with out good maps is beyond me. The maps in Champion Hill are fantastic. Not only for their clarity but the sheer number of them is truly amazing. Needless to say I loved them. The style of his writing actually left me with the desire to pick it up again to see how things were going on the Middle Road and the Jackson Rd., just like a good mystery book. I give it an A+. Keep'em coming but don't forget the maps !!

Excellent book on the Battle of Champion Hill

Being a novice to the study of the civil war, I found this book to be helpful in my pursuit of knowledge about the Battle of Champion Hill. It was well written and easy to read. Not being one who necessarily understands military tactics or maneuvers, Timothy Smith's book allowed me to follow the battle with a clear understanding of troop movements and placements and was enhanced by the excellent maps. Having read the book prior to a trip to the Vicksburg area, the battle came to life for me because of the knowledge gleaned. I especially enjoyed the personal accounts, pictures and bios of the officers and soldiers. I think this battle is best summed up by a quote from the book about a young Iowan, Sam Byers, that said, "But, on May 16, 1863, he was just a frightened young man standing with hundreds of other frightened young men looking up the slopes of Champion Hill in an effort to stare down random death.." This is definitely a book that every serious student of the civil war will want in his or her library.

Sets the Standard for battle History

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 crossin

A new "turning point" of the war?

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