In 1853, the land now known as Champion Hill was given to Sid and Matilda Champion as a wedding present from her father, Eli Montgomery. They erected a two-story white-frame house along the Jackson Road that overlooked the railroad. In 1862, Sid joined the 28th Mississippi Cavalry, leaving Matilda in charge of the plantation. On May 16, 1863, as the Battle of Champion Hill erupted, Grant claimed the Champion House as headquarters while Matilda took the children down to the cellar where they remained until the firing ceased. The house was used as a Union hospital then burned after the fall of Vicksburg. In 1865, Sid and Matilda returned and built a modest house down by the railroad, on a site known as Midway Station.
