 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Johnston akatanga kutamisa simba rake kumadokero kuti abatane nePemberton paakanzwa nezvokukundwa kwagenera iroro paChampion Hill May 16 uye paBig Black River Bridge May 17. Vapukunyuki vakadzokera kunhare dzeVicksburg. Johnston akakurudzira Pemberton kuti arege kukombwa nokusiya guta uye kubatana nemauto aJohnston, achidarika Grant, asi Davis akanga arayira Pemberton kuti adzivirire guta sechinhu chake chikuru. Grant akatanga kurwiswa kaviri kusina kubudirira kuzorwa nezvivako uye ipapo akagadzirira kukomba. Varwi navanhuwo zvavo vaiva muguta rakanga rakombwa vakamirira pasina kuti uto duku raJohnston rivanunure. Pakupera kwaMay Johnston akanga aunganidza varume vanenge 24 000, asi aida mamwe masoja asati aenda mberi. Akafunga kurayira Bragg kuti atumire izvi zvakasimbiswa, asi ainetseka kuti izvi zvingaguma nekurasikirwa kweTennessee. Akapopotedzanawo naMutungamiri Davis pamusoro pekuti murayiro wekutumira kuMississippi unogona kunzwisiswa sekumubvisa kubva kumitambo yemitambo; munyori wenhoroondo Steven E. Woodworth anotonga kuti Johnston akatsanangura zvisirizvo mirairo yake kubva pakutsamwa kwekupindira kwaDavis. Mauto aPemberton akazvipa pana July 4, 1863. Pamwe chete nokutorwa kwePort HudsonVhiki rimwe gare gare, kurasikirwa neVicksburg kwakapa Union kudzora kwakakwana kweRwizi rweMississippi ndokugura Confederacy kuva mativi maviri. Purezidhendi Davis nenzira yokunyomba akati kukundwa kwehondo kwaiva kushayikwa kwezvokudya mukati uye mukuru mukuru wokunze Johnston akanga asingadi kurwa. 