 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Johnston akavamba kutamisa simba rake kumadokero kuti abatane naPemberton paakanzwa nezvokukundwa kwaGeneral iyeye paChampion HillMay 16 uye Big 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 Hudson kwevhiki imwe chete gare gare, kurasikirwa kweVicksburg kwakapa Union kudzora kwakakwana kweRwizi rweMississippi uye kucheka Confederacy muzvikamu zviviri. Purezidhendi Davis nenzira yokunyomba akati kukundwa kwehondo kwaiva kushayikwa kwezvokudya mukati uye mukuru mukuru wokunze Johnston akanga asingadi kurwa. 