Beauvoir House
National Historic Landmark Re-opens

Beauvoir House - "Oh Beautiful to See" Photograph courtesy Albert & Associates Architects

 

Beauvoir House, the beautiful home of Jefferson Davis, was re-opened to the public Tuesday, June 3, 2008, after having sustained immense damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since that time, Beauvoir has been undergoing construction to return the house to its original state - as it looked when Jefferson Davis lived there.

June 3, 2008, the anniversary of Jefferson Davis’ 200th birthday, was a perfect day to celebrate the re-opening of the National Historic Landmark. The house was re-opened to the public and they responded in unprecedented numbers. Approximately three to four thousand people attended the event. The massive turn out clearly showed the need of the people to return to some semblance of normalcy after seeing almost every building, home and business, destroyed by Katrina.

click for more>>>

Five Generations of
Sid Champions

By Rebecca Blackwell Drake

The land now known as Champion Hill has been in the Champion family since 1853, when Sid S. Champion married Matilda Montgomery. The land located along the Southern Mississippi Railroad, midway between Bolton and Edwards, was a wedding gift from Matilda’s father, Eli Montgomery. Sid and Matilda established the Champion plantation in 1853-1854 and amassed a small fortune before the war broke out in 1861. Sid and Matilda lived in their lovely home for about 10 years before the war came and destroyed everything - even their lives. After the war, Sid and Matilda returned to Hinds County and built a second home at Champion Hill that still stands, though in poor repair. Sadly, Sid died three years later, leaving Matilda a widow with 4 young children to rear and the land to farm.

click for more >>>

The Long Road Home
by Pvt. Myron B. Loop

The 68th Ohio Infantry in the Battle of Champion Hill

Excerpt from Chapter Four

The campaign, the object of which was the reduction of Vicksburg, thus far had succeeded admirably, and Gen. Grant was well pleased, as he had planted his army between Pemberton's and Johnston's armies. Meanwhile Gen. McClernand's command in our rear was making noisy demonstrations to deceive Pemberton, in Vicksburg, as to Grant's real intentions until Johnston's force could be disposed of This program was carried out to the letter. Johnston's army was badly whipped and driven from the field, the city of Jackson captured and wholly destroyed as a military depot, and our noble chieftain was now ready to cultivate the acquaintance of Pemberton.

click for more >>>

Photograph by William Pywell Captures Scenes at the Big Black River Station in 1864

Announcing

Champion Hill Tours
With Sid Champion V

Tour Champion Hill with Sid J. Champion (Sid V), the great-great-grandson of Sid and Matilda Champion.

• The Cross Roads

• Old Jackson Road

• The Hill of Death

• Original House Site and Historic Marker

• Midway Station

• Family Cemetery and Memorabilia

• Margie Bearss Memorial

$25 per person (minimum of 2)  Call 601-316-4894

<click for more>

Collected Stories of the Vicksburg Campaign