From Raymond there is a direct road to Edward’s station, some three miles west of Champion’s Hill.  There is one also to Bolton.  From this latter road there is still another, leaving it about three and a half miles before reaching Bolton and leads direct to the same station.  It was along these two roads that three divisions of McClernand’s corps, and Blair of Sherman’s, temporarily under McClernand, were moving.  Hovey of McClernand’s command was with McPherson, farther north on the road from Bolton direct to Edward’s station.  The middle road comes into the northern road at the point where the latter turns to the west and descends to Baker’s Creek; the southern road is still several miles south and does not intersect the others until it reaches Edward’s station.  Pemberton’s lines covered all these roads, and faced east.  Hovey’s line, when it first drove in the enemy’s pickets, was formed parallel to that of the enemy and confronted his left.

By eleven o’clock the skirmishing had grown into a hard-contested battle.  Hovey alone, before other troops could be got to assist him, had captured a battery of the enemy.  But he was not able to hold his position and had to abandon the artillery.  McPherson brought up his troops as fast as possible, Logan in front, and posted them on the right of Hovey and across the flank of the enemy.  Logan reinforced Hovey with one brigade from his division; with his other two he moved farther west to make room for Crocker, who was coming up as rapidly as the roads would admit.  Hovey was still being heavily pressed, and was calling on me for more reinforcements.  I ordered Crocker, who was now coming up, to send one brigade from his division.  McPherson ordered two batteries to be stationed where they nearly enfiladed the enemy’s line, and they did good execution.

From Logan’s position now a direct forward movement carried him over open fields, in rear of the enemy and in a line parallel with them.  He did make exactly this move, attacking, however, the enemy through the belt of woods covering the west slope of the hill for a short distance.  Up to this time I had kept my position near Hovey where we were the most heavily pressed; but about noon I moved with a part of my staff by our right around, until I came up with Logan himself.  I found him near the road leading down to Baker’s Creek.  He was actually in command of the only road over which the enemy could retreat; Hovey, reinforced by two brigades from McPherson’s command, confronted the enemy’s left; Crocker, with two brigades, covered their left flank; McClernand two hours before, had been within two miles and a half of their centre with two divisions, and the two divisions, Blair’s and A. J. Smith’s, were confronting the rebel right; Ransom, with a brigade of McArthur’s division of the 17th corps (McPherson’s), had crossed the river at Grand Gulf a few days before, and was coming up on their right flank.  Neither Logan nor I knew that we had cut off the retreat of the enemy.  Just at this juncture a messenger came from Hovey, asking for more reinforcements.  There were none to spare.  I then gave an order to move McPherson’s command by the left flank around to Hovey.  This uncovered the rebel line of retreat, which was soon taken advantage of by the enemy.