The Battle of Big Black River Bridge should have never happened.

Unaware that an entire division of his army was missing, Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton made a decision that surely haunted him in the early morning of May 17, 1963.

During the battle of Champion Hill, troops under Confederate Gen. William W. Loring left without giving any word to Pemberton. Some historians say Loring was cut off and his troops became lost. Others contend that Loring led his men away on purpose.

Either way, the absence of him and the 5,000 men under his command led Pemberton to leave a mass off troops on the east side of the Big Black River with water at their back and little way to escape, Vicksburg National Military Park ranger Ray Hamel told a small group gathered Sunday for the 152nd anniversary of the battle.

“If he hadn’t been waiting on Loring, Pemberton could have gotten back to Vicksburg right away,” Hamel said.

Getting back to Vicksburg immediately and with more men could have helped change the course of the rest of Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign for Vicksburg.

“The fortifications here are very strong indeed under the direction of Samuel H. Lockett, a West Point educated engineer,” Hamel said.

Lockett is perhaps most famous for designing the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty.

With their back to the water, Confederates were unable to beat back a charge up the middle of their lines as Loring and his men made way for Crystal Springs. Bolstered by victories at Port Gibson, Raymond and Jackson, there’s seemingly no stopping the federal assault.

“This further contributes to the esprit de corps of Grant’s troops who have been on a six-week blitzkrieg,” Hamel said.

Fighting slowed down as confederates began to retreat any way they could. Some made a swim for it. Others ran across the bridge or the steamer Dot, which had been placed as use as a bridge. Several men drowned in the swollen Big Black River.

In all, about 3,000 Confederates were listed as casualties in the battle, added to the approximately 5,000 men who followed Loring.

The short program was held on the lawn of the park’s Visitor Center. Park officials said they wanted attempted to hold the commemoration at the battle site but could not find a suitable location there.

“There is no place out there where we can have visitors park and get to it safely,” Hamel said.