 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Muna Chikumi, 1863, Boka raMcNair rakagoverwa kuWalkers yakazotevera Frenchs Chikamu cheHondo yeDhipatimendi reMississippi neEastern Louisiana, pasi pekutungamira kwakazara kwaGeneral Joseph E. Johnston uyo akapiwa basa rekuronga simba rekuyedza kubvisa mauto akavharirwa aGeneral Pemberton kuVicksburg. Johnston akanga ave achiunganidza mauto paJackson, achida kuderedza dzvinyiriro pavarwi vaLt. Gen. John C. Pemberton. Johnston nokungwarira akafambisa varwi vake 30 000 vakananga kumashure kweuto raGrant rakanga rakakomberedza Vicksburg. Achipindura, Grant akarayira Sherman kuti agadzirise kutyisidzira kwaJohnston. Pakazosvika July 1, 1863, simba raJohnston rakanga rava munzvimbo pedyo neBig Black River. Sherman akashandisa IX Corps yakanga ichangobva kusvika kupikisa tyisidziro iyi. Musi waJuly 5, zuva rakatevera kuzvitsaurira kweVicksburg kwakaitwa pamutemo; Sherman akanga akasununguka kufamba achipesana naJohnston. Johnston akakurumidza kudzorera mauto ake mhiri kwoRwizi Rukuru Rutsvukuuye nhandare dzehondo dzeChampions Hill naSherman ari kuvatevera. Sherman aiva naye IX Corps, XV Corps, XIII Corps, uye chikwata che XVI Corps. Musi waJuly 10 Mauto eUnion akanga atora nzvimbo dzakapoteredza Jackson. Kurwisana kwakanyanya muKukombwa kweJackson kwakauya musi wa11 Chikunguru panguva yekurwisa kweUnited Union kwakanga kusina kubudirira, izvo zvakaguma nekurasikirwa kukuru. Panzvimbo pokuzvipinza mungozi yokuva musungo, Johnston akasarudza kubuda muguta guru renyika ndokubva musi waJuly 16. Mauto aSherman akatora guta racho zuva rakatevera racho. 