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| {{Short description|Union Army brigadier general, died at Gettysburg}} | |||
| {{Infobox |
{{Infobox military person | ||
| |name=Strong Vincent | |name=Strong Vincent | ||
| ⚫ | |image=Strong Vincent.jpg | ||
| ⚫ | | |
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| |caption=Vincent as a colonel | |||
| ⚫ | | |
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| ⚫ | |birth_date= {{birth date|1837|6|17}} | ||
| ⚫ | | |
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| ⚫ | |death_date= {{death date and age|1863|7|7|1837|6|17}} | ||
| ⚫ | | |
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| ⚫ | |birth_place=], U.S. | ||
| |placeofburial= | |||
| ⚫ | |death_place=], U.S. | ||
| ⚫ | |placeofburial_label= |
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| |placeofburial= ], ], U.S. | |||
| ⚫ | |image= |
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| ⚫ | |placeofburial_label= | ||
| |caption=Colonel Strong Vincent | |||
| |nickname= | |nickname= | ||
| |allegiance= |
|allegiance= {{flag|United States|1863}} | ||
| |branch= {{army|United States}} (]) | |||
| |serviceyears=1861– |
|serviceyears=1861–1863 | ||
| |rank=] | |||
| |rank= ] ]<ref name="Eicher">{{cite book|title=Civil War High Commands|last1=Eicher|first1=John H.|author-link1=John H. Eicher|last2=Eicher|first2=David J.|author-link2=David J. Eicher|location=Stanford, CA|publisher=Stanford University Press|date=2001|isbn= 0-8047-3641-3}}</ref>{{rp|614}} | |||
| ⚫ | |commands=83rd Pennsylvania Infantry<br/>3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps | ||
| |unit=Erie Regiment | |unit=Erie Regiment | ||
| ⚫ | |commands= ]<br/>3rd Brigade, 1st Division, ] | ||
| |battles=]<br/>] † | |||
| |battles= | |||
| {{plainlist| | |||
| *] | |||
| *:] | |||
| *:] | |||
| *:]{{DOW}} | |||
| ⚫ | }} | ||
| |awards= | |awards= | ||
| |laterwork= | |laterwork= | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| ⚫ | '''Strong Vincent''' (June 17, 1837 – July 7, 1863) was a lawyer who became famous as a ] officer during the fighting |
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| ⚫ | '''Strong Vincent''' (June 17, 1837 – July 7, 1863) was a lawyer who became famous as a ] officer during the ]. He was mortally wounded while leading his brigade during the fighting at ] on the second day of the ], and died five days later. | ||
| ⚫ | ==Early life== | ||
| ⚫ | Vincent was born in ], son of iron ]man |
||
| ⚫ | ==Early life and education== | ||
| ⚫ | ==Civil War== | ||
| ⚫ | Vincent was born in ], son of iron ]man ] and Sarah Ann (née) Strong. He attended ] and ], graduating in 1859. He practiced law in ]. | ||
| ⚫ | At the start of the Civil War, Vincent joined the ] as an ] and ] of the Erie Regiment. On September 14, 1861, he was commissioned ] of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry and was promoted to ] the following June. After the death of his regimental commander in the ] (at the ]), Vincent assumed command of the regiment. He developed ] on the ] and was on medical leave until the ] in December 1862. On May 20, 1863, he assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, ], ], replacing his brigade commander, who |
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| ⚫ | ==American Civil War== | ||
| ⚫ | ] near the spot where Vincent was mortally wounded |
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| ⚫ | At the start of the American Civil War, Vincent joined the ] as an ] and ] of the Erie Regiment. On September 14, 1861, he was commissioned ] of the ] and was promoted to ] the following June. After the death of his regimental commander in the ] (at the ]), Vincent assumed command of the regiment. He developed ] on the ] and was on medical leave until the ] in December 1862. On May 20, 1863, he assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, ], ], replacing his brigade commander, who resigned after the ]. | ||
| ⚫ | ] near the spot where Vincent was mortally wounded]] | ||
| At the ], 26-year-old Vincent and his brigade arrived on July 2, 1863. He had started the ] knowing that his young wife, Elizabeth H. Carter, whom he had married on the day he enlisted in the army, was pregnant with their first child. He had written her, "If I fall, remember you have given your husband to the most righteous cause that ever widowed a woman." | At the ], 26-year-old Vincent and his brigade arrived on July 2, 1863. He had started the ] knowing that his young wife, Elizabeth H. Carter, whom he had married on the day he enlisted in the army, was pregnant with their first child. He had written her, "If I fall, remember you have given your husband to the most righteous cause that ever widowed a woman." | ||
| ] ] of the ] had deviated from his orders, moving his corps to a position that left undefended a significant terrain feature: Little Round Top. The chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, ] ], recognized the tactical importance of the hill and urgently sought ] troops to occupy it before the ] could. A staff officer sent by Warren encountered Vincent's brigade nearby. Vincent, without consulting his superior officers, decided that his brigade was in the ideal position to defend ], saying "I will take the responsibility to take my brigade there." Pvt. Oliver Willcox Norton, Vincent's brigade standard bearer and ]r, later wrote that he and Vincent made a reconnaissance of the Confederate forces as the brigade was moving into position, "While our line was forming on the hill at Gettysburg I came out with him in full view of the rebel lines. They opened two batteries on us instantly, firing at the colors. Colonel Vincent looked to see what was drawing the fire and yelled at me, "Down with the flag, Norton! Damn it, go behind the rocks with it.".<ref name="Norton">{{cite book|last=Norton|first=Oliver Wilcox|title=Army letters, 1861-1865 : being extracts from private letters to relatives and friends from a soldier in the field during the late Civil War|url=https://archive.org/details/armyletters1861100nort|year=1903|location=Chicago|publisher=O. L. Deming}}</ref>{{efn|Norton was a member of the 83rd Pennsylvania, which Vincent commanded before becoming its brigade commander.}} | |||
| ] | |||
| One of Vincent's regiments, the ], led by Colonel ], has received most of the fame for the defense of Little Round Top, but there is little doubt that the efforts and bravery of Vincent were instrumental in the eventual Union victory. Vincent impressed upon Chamberlain the importance of his position on the brigade's left flank and then he left to attend to the brigade's right flank. There, the 16th Michigan Infantry was starting to yield to enemy pressure. Mounting a large boulder, Vincent brandished a riding crop given to him by his wife and shouted to his men "Don't give an inch!" A bullet struck him through the thigh and the groin and he fell. Due to |
One of Vincent's regiments, the ], led by Colonel ], has received most of the fame for the defense of Little Round Top, but there is little doubt that the efforts and bravery of Vincent were instrumental in the eventual Union victory. Vincent impressed upon Chamberlain the importance of his position on the brigade's left flank and then he left to attend to the brigade's right flank. There, the 16th Michigan Infantry was starting to yield to enemy pressure. Mounting a large boulder, Vincent brandished a riding crop given to him by his wife and shouted to his men "Don't give an inch!" A bullet struck him through the thigh and the groin and he fell. Due to the determination of the 20th Maine, the ], the 83rd Pennsylvania and the ], the Union line held against the Confederate onslaught. Vincent was carried from the hill to a nearby farm, where he lay dying for the next five days, unable to be transported home due to the severity of his injury. | ||
| The commander of the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. ], recommended Vincent for promotion to ] on the evening of July 2. The promotion was dated July 3, 1863, but it is doubtful that Vincent knew about the honor before he died |
The commander of the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. ], recommended Vincent for promotion to ] on the evening of July 2. The promotion was dated July 3, 1863, but it is doubtful that Vincent knew about the honor before he died<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner|first=Ezra J.|year=1964|title=Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders|location=Baton Rouge|publisher=Louisiana State University Press|page=528|isbn=0-8071-0822-7}}</ref>{{efn|Eicher, p. 614, states that this promotion was not confirmed by the United States Senate, and therefore does not list him as a general.}} (although Pvt. Oliver Willcox Norton in ''Army Letters 1861-1865'' writes "His commission as Brigadier General was read to him on his deathbed.")<ref name="Norton" />{{rp|162}} Vincent's wife gave birth to a baby girl two months later, who died before reaching the age of one and is buried next to her father. | ||
| His corps commander, Maj. Gen. ], described Vincent's actions in his official report from the battle: | His corps commander, Maj. Gen. ], described Vincent's actions in his official report from the battle: | ||
| {{Quotation|Night closed the fight. The key of the battle-field was in our possession intact. Vincent, Weed, and Hazlett, chiefs lamented throughout the corps and army, sealed with their lives the spot intrusted to their keeping, and on which so much depended.... General Weed and Colonel Vincent, officers of rare promise, gave their lives to their country.|George Sykes|report on the Battle of Gettysburg}} | {{Quotation|Night closed the fight. The key of the battle-field was in our possession intact. Vincent, ], and ], chiefs lamented throughout the corps and army, sealed with their lives the spot intrusted to their keeping, and on which so much depended. ... General Weed and Colonel Vincent, officers of rare promise, gave their lives to their country.|George Sykes|report on the Battle of Gettysburg}} | ||
| == |
==Legacy== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Vincent is buried in ] in Erie. He is memorialized by a statue on the 83rd Pennsylvania monument on Little Round Top; by a statue erected in 1997 at Blasco Memorial Library, Erie; and by ] in Erie. The portion of Little Round Top to the southeast of Sykes Avenue on the ] is known as "Vincent's Spur". The 1-112 Infantry of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard stationed in Cambridge Springs uses the call sign "STRONG" in recognition of Vincent's courage, determination and sacrifice. | |||
| ==In popular culture== | |||
| He was portrayed in the film '']'' by ]. | |||
| *Vincent is a character in the novel '']'' by ]. In its 1993 film adaptation '']'', he is portrayed by ]. | |||
| *Vincent is a character in the alternate history novel "]" by ] and ]. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| {{ |
{{Portal|American Civil War}} | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| {{portal|United States Army|United States Department of the Army Seal.svg}} | |||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | ==References== | ||
| * Eicher, John H., and ], ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. | |||
| * Goellnitz, Jenny, . | |||
| * Norton, Oliver W., ''Army Letters 1861-1865'', Morningside, 1990, ISBN 089029-094-X. | |||
| * Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1964, ISBN 0-8071-0822-7. | |||
| ==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
| {{ |
{{notelist}} | ||
| ⚫ | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
| * {{cite web|url=http://www.vincent.goellnitz.org/|title=General Strong Vincent|last=Goellnitz|first=Jenny|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050411174515/http://www.vincent.goellnitz.org/|archive-date=2005-04-11}} | |||
| ⚫ | * Norton |
||
| * {{cite book|last=Myers|first=Hans G.|date=2022|title=The Lion of Round Top: The Life and Military Service of Brigadier General Strong Vincent in the American Civil War|location=Philadelphia|publisher=Casemate Publishing|isbn=978-1-63-624111-1}} | |||
| ⚫ | * {{cite book|last=Norton|first=Oliver Willcox|date=1913|title=The Attack and Defense of Little Round Top: Gettysburg, July 2, 1863|url= | ||
| https://books.google.com/books?id=tCwOAAAAIAAJ|archive-url=https://archive.org/details/attackanddefens00nortgoog/|archive-date=2008-02-16|location=New York|publisher=The Neale Publishing Company}} | |||
| {{Gettysburg figures}} | {{Gettysburg figures|state=collapsed}} | ||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME= Vincent, Strong | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION= ] ] ] | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH= | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH= | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH= | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH= | |||
| ⚫ | }} | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Vincent, Strong}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Vincent, Strong}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
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Latest revision as of 04:47, 1 November 2024
Union Army brigadier general, died at Gettysburg| Strong Vincent | |
|---|---|
 Vincent as a colonel | |
| Born | (1837-06-17)June 17, 1837 Waterford, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | July 7, 1863(1863-07-07) (aged 26) Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Buried | Erie Cemetery, Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army (Union Army) |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |  Brigadier general |
| Unit | Erie Regiment |
| Commands | 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps |
| Battles / wars | |
Strong Vincent (June 17, 1837 – July 7, 1863) was a lawyer who became famous as a U.S. Army officer during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded while leading his brigade during the fighting at Little Round Top on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and died five days later.
Early life and education
Vincent was born in Waterford, Pennsylvania, son of iron foundryman B. B. Vincent and Sarah Ann (née) Strong. He attended Trinity College and Harvard University, graduating in 1859. He practiced law in Erie, Pennsylvania.
American Civil War
At the start of the American Civil War, Vincent joined the Pennsylvania Militia as an adjutant and first lieutenant of the Erie Regiment. On September 14, 1861, he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry and was promoted to colonel the following June. After the death of his regimental commander in the Seven Days Battles (at the Battle of Gaines's Mill), Vincent assumed command of the regiment. He developed malaria on the Virginia Peninsula and was on medical leave until the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862. On May 20, 1863, he assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps, Army of the Potomac, replacing his brigade commander, who resigned after the Battle of Chancellorsville.
At the Battle of Gettysburg, 26-year-old Vincent and his brigade arrived on July 2, 1863. He had started the Gettysburg Campaign knowing that his young wife, Elizabeth H. Carter, whom he had married on the day he enlisted in the army, was pregnant with their first child. He had written her, "If I fall, remember you have given your husband to the most righteous cause that ever widowed a woman."
Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles of the III Corps had deviated from his orders, moving his corps to a position that left undefended a significant terrain feature: Little Round Top. The chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, recognized the tactical importance of the hill and urgently sought Union troops to occupy it before the Confederates could. A staff officer sent by Warren encountered Vincent's brigade nearby. Vincent, without consulting his superior officers, decided that his brigade was in the ideal position to defend Little Round Top, saying "I will take the responsibility to take my brigade there." Pvt. Oliver Willcox Norton, Vincent's brigade standard bearer and bugler, later wrote that he and Vincent made a reconnaissance of the Confederate forces as the brigade was moving into position, "While our line was forming on the hill at Gettysburg I came out with him in full view of the rebel lines. They opened two batteries on us instantly, firing at the colors. Colonel Vincent looked to see what was drawing the fire and yelled at me, "Down with the flag, Norton! Damn it, go behind the rocks with it.".
One of Vincent's regiments, the 20th Maine, led by Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, has received most of the fame for the defense of Little Round Top, but there is little doubt that the efforts and bravery of Vincent were instrumental in the eventual Union victory. Vincent impressed upon Chamberlain the importance of his position on the brigade's left flank and then he left to attend to the brigade's right flank. There, the 16th Michigan Infantry was starting to yield to enemy pressure. Mounting a large boulder, Vincent brandished a riding crop given to him by his wife and shouted to his men "Don't give an inch!" A bullet struck him through the thigh and the groin and he fell. Due to the determination of the 20th Maine, the 44th New York, the 83rd Pennsylvania and the 16th Michigan Infantry, the Union line held against the Confederate onslaught. Vincent was carried from the hill to a nearby farm, where he lay dying for the next five days, unable to be transported home due to the severity of his injury.
The commander of the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, recommended Vincent for promotion to brigadier general on the evening of July 2. The promotion was dated July 3, 1863, but it is doubtful that Vincent knew about the honor before he died (although Pvt. Oliver Willcox Norton in Army Letters 1861-1865 writes "His commission as Brigadier General was read to him on his deathbed.") Vincent's wife gave birth to a baby girl two months later, who died before reaching the age of one and is buried next to her father.
His corps commander, Maj. Gen. George Sykes, described Vincent's actions in his official report from the battle:
Night closed the fight. The key of the battle-field was in our possession intact. Vincent, Weed, and Hazlett, chiefs lamented throughout the corps and army, sealed with their lives the spot intrusted to their keeping, and on which so much depended. ... General Weed and Colonel Vincent, officers of rare promise, gave their lives to their country.
— George Sykes, report on the Battle of Gettysburg
Legacy
Vincent is buried in Erie Cemetery in Erie. He is memorialized by a statue on the 83rd Pennsylvania monument on Little Round Top; by a statue erected in 1997 at Blasco Memorial Library, Erie; and by Strong Vincent Middle School in Erie. The portion of Little Round Top to the southeast of Sykes Avenue on the Gettysburg Battlefield is known as "Vincent's Spur". The 1-112 Infantry of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard stationed in Cambridge Springs uses the call sign "STRONG" in recognition of Vincent's courage, determination and sacrifice.
In popular culture
- Vincent is a character in the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. In its 1993 film adaptation Gettysburg, he is portrayed by Maxwell Caulfield.
- Vincent is a character in the alternate history novel "Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War" by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen.
See also
Notes
- Norton was a member of the 83rd Pennsylvania, which Vincent commanded before becoming its brigade commander.
- Eicher, p. 614, states that this promotion was not confirmed by the United States Senate, and therefore does not list him as a general.
References
- Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2001). Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- ^ Norton, Oliver Wilcox (1903). Army letters, 1861-1865 : being extracts from private letters to relatives and friends from a soldier in the field during the late Civil War. Chicago: O. L. Deming.
- Warner, Ezra J. (1964). Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. p. 528. ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.
Further reading
- Goellnitz, Jenny. "General Strong Vincent". Archived from the original on 2005-04-11.
- Myers, Hans G. (2022). The Lion of Round Top: The Life and Military Service of Brigadier General Strong Vincent in the American Civil War. Philadelphia: Casemate Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63-624111-1.
- Norton, Oliver Willcox (1913). The Attack and Defense of Little Round Top: Gettysburg, July 2, 1863. New York: The Neale Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 2008-02-16.