owen's counter assault had hammered a bulge in the Union line at Champion Hill that extended to just yards away from the Federal headquarters at the Champion home.  He lobbied his commander for reinforcements, thinking that one final push would get his men into the Union rear and swing the battle in favor of the Confederates.  But just as he was steadying his lines, Union artillery located just to the south and east of the Champion house opened a withering fire on the Confederate front.  Also, a fresh Union division under command of Marcellus M. Crocker was deployed to halt the Confederate advance.  Slowly, Bowen's lines gave way.  When he learned that McClernand had broken through the roadblock on the Middle Road, Bowen understood the gravity of his current predicament:  Either withdraw his troops or risk being encircled and annihilated by the strengthened Union army.  He withdrew cautiously to the crossroads, still thinking that the upper Baker's creek bridge was the only way out.
          In the meantime, Loring had reemerged and informed Pemberton that he had found another escape route.  The Confederate engineers, working all day, had finally secured a crossing over the lower Bakers Creek on the Raymond Road.  Pemberton promptly relayed this information to Bowen, who, along with Loring, now had to act as the rear guard in the Confederate retreat.  Pemberton's army fled the field via the newly discovered Lower Bridge Road, which intersected the Raymond Road near the Yeiser house.  It took time to get the entire army across the creek, and Confederates posted themselves on a ridge near the Coker house where they could shell the Union army when it came into view.  It was during this holding action where Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman was killed by shrapnel from a Yankee artillery shell.
          When Bowen reached the lower bridge on the Raymond Road, he was to hold it until Loring's division was safely across.  Hearing cannonading in his rear, Bowen assumed that the Federals were already in the vicinity of Edwards and decided to withdraw to the south along the Mt. Moriah Road.  He would reunite his division with the rest of the Confederate army that evening at the Big Black River.  Loring, on the other hand, would not be able to link up with the rest of his army.  Seeing the lower bridge in possession of the Yankees, he withdrew southward to Crystal Springs and would later hook up with Joseph Johnston near Jackson.

Retreat, May 16