View from the crest of Champion Hill looking toward the Jackson Road trace which is down below. When Hovey's men reached the crest, the fighting between them and the Confederates was brief but fierce, and often hand-to-hand. Eventually, Cumming's soldiers retreated toward the Crossroads, leaving behind their artillery. The picture above shows the general direction of their escape route down the Jackson Road    Locate on Map

This photograph shows the south slope of the Champion Hill crest taken just a few yards south of the previous picture. Many of the Confederates fled from the crest of Champion Hill through these woods on route to the crossroads. The view is looking to the southeast
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The Jackson Road trace looking north toward the area of the initial assault, in between Champion Hill and the crossroads. Although scant fighting occurred during this segment of the battle, the ground in the picture above would become the site of massive casualties during the Confederate counterassault. For this segment of the battle, this road was one of the major avenues of the Confederate mass retreat from Champion Hill. The victorious Federals chased the retreating Southerners, took possession of the crossroads which briefly cut Pemberton off from his only escape route. Exhaustion and depleted supplies forced many Federals to halt pursuit there. Had McClernand known of the developments on the Union right and assaulted the flimsy Confederate positions holding the Middle Road, Pemberton's army could have been cut in two and routed. Poor communication with Grant allowed Pemberton and his army one more chance at victory   Locate on Map

The crossroads looking west down the old Jackson Road, now the Billy Fields Road. The Jackson Road trace is to the right and the Ratliff Road can be seen to the left. Federal soldiers from Hovey's division held this critical road junction until the Confederates counter attacked with fresh troops from John Bowen  Locate on Map
  
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