Actually, Smith's brigade ran out of room deploying in the field and the 68th Ohio was ordered to move to the extreme left flank. The 30th Illinois had to endure a continuous shelling of the tree line at Fourteen Mile Creek, and a feint late in the battle by the 50th Tennessee, but other than that it was unengaged.
> I am not sure how much time we will have but I wouldn't mind seeing the battle grounds and where the 30th was at. How far is it
> from Vicksburg Nat'l Battlefield Park and about how long would it yake to "take it in"? My buddy and I will be arriving at Vburg
> late Friday nite, go to Champion Hill on Sat., we were going to see Big Black but I fear it may be flooded out, on Sunday and
> Vicksburg on Monday, heading home on Tuesday. Now it's C.H. on Saturday and Vicksburg battlefield (and the courthouse providing
> it's above water) which leaves Monday open. Do you know if the Courthouse is in question of flood waters?
If Vicksburg ever goes underwater, only Noah will survive! So the courthouse should be fine. I haven't heard that the Big Black River will flood that far north ... the battlefield is about 60 miles upstream of the Mississippi River. There is a battlefield park at Raymond with a convenient walking trail that will take you past the spot where the 30th Illinois was positioned. There are no unit markers. You are correct about a railroad bed being near the position of the 30th Illinois, but the railroad did not exist during the Civil War. The railroad bed has recently been replaced by the walking trail.
The Raymond battlefield park is only about 10 miles from Champion Hill if you take the back roads.