The Life of Colonel Strong Vincent

Sam Grant

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displaced Baltimorean
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"Don't Give An Inch!" by Don Troiani
from https://www.eleganthorsepictures.com/troiani-dont-give-an-inch.html

Strong Vincent was born in 1837 in the town of Waterford, in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Though his father was an iron foundryman, young Vincent had aspirations to become a lawyer. He attended Trinity College and Harvard University, graduating in 1859 before promptly returning home to practice law. Little else is known of his early life.

Thanks to the Secessionist crisis, Vincent's peacetime career proved short-lived. Vincent had Republican sympathies and expressed ardent support for Abraham Lincoln's presidential campaign. In the opening months of the Civil War he was an officer in the Pennysvlania Militia, but in September of 1861 he became the lieutenant colonel of the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry. Despite the excitement of War, Vincent had also found time to marry Miss Elizabeth H. Carter in the summer of 1861.

Vincent and the 83rd marched with the Army of the Potomac under McClellan, and the young officer received a promotion to colonel in June of 1862. He assumed command of the regiment at the Battle of Gaine's Mill when its colonel was killed, but shortly after was taken ill and went on medical leave. Colonel Vincent did not return to the service until late in the year, returning to the Army just in time to fight at the disastorous Battle of Fredericksburg.

Colonel Vincent was in command of the 83rd Pennsylvania at Chancellorsville, where the commander of the 3rd Brigade of the V Corps was killed. In the aftermath of the battle, Vincent, though still only holding the rank of colonel, was placed in command of the 3rd Brigade. He was now the commander not only of the 83rd, but also the 44th New York, 16th Michigan, and 20th Maine regiments. It was also around this time that he learned his wife was pregnant with their first child.

Colonel Vincent and the rest of his command arrived at Gettysburg in the early morning of the second day. G.K. Warren, commander of the V Corps, was urgently seeking troops to protect the position modernly known as Little Round Top, and one of his orderlies encountered Vincent's brigade. Without the consent of his divisional commander, Brigadier General James Barnes, Vincent formed his brigade up on Little Round Top, and braced for the coming Rebel assault.

Colonel Vincent first visited the 20th Maine, under Joshua Chamberlain, which now formed the extreme left flank of the Union army. After stressing the importance of holding this position, Vincent moved to the other end of his brigade, amongst the troops of the 16th Michigan. Vincent's men took shelter behind the large boulders that littered Little Round Top, and fired on the advancing Confederates of Hood's Texas Brigade.

Confederate reinforcements coming from the fighting at the Devil's Den increased the pressure on the 16th Michigan. Vincent, flourishing a riding crop, tried to rally the beleaugered Northerners, shouting 'don't give an inch!' Instantly a Rebel bullet crashed into his groin. Vincent collapsed, out of the Battle. His collapsing right flank was saved by the appearance of the 140th New York Infantry, who also lost their colonel in the bitter firefight.

On the third and final day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the gallant Colonel Strong Vincent was awarded the rank of brigadier general. It was a rank he never got exercise. Mortally wounded, Vincent clung desperately to life, thinking above all else of his pregnant wife. On July 7th, 1863, Vincent died; he was subsequently buried in Erie Cemetary. Two months later, his wife gave birth to a girl, but the infant followed her father in death only a year later, and was buried by his side.

By the last year of his life, Vincent had earned a reputation as a firm, relentless officer. He had no time for the chivalry and pomp that characterized many officers early in the War. How he felt about the issues of slavery and race relations are unknown, but he was a staunch believer in the sanctity of the Union. The Union was a cause that this bold young soldier gave his life to defend.
 
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An example of a man who took matters into his own hands and ignored the chain of command to positively affect the events of Day 2. He saw a problem and wanted his brigade to be the men who solved it. They did, but a shame that he did not survive to reap the benefits. Men like him, Alonzo Cushing, the 1st Minnesota and countless others took a backseat to self promoters like Dan Sickles for years. Luckily, history tells their story.
 
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I have intended to do this for a while now, but today was the first day in recent memory that we've seen some sun! After voting I made a quick trip to the Erie Cemetery so I could show you all Strong Vincent's grave. The Vincent family graves circle around the Celtic cross seen at center. The inscription reads "Brig. Gen'l. Strong Vincent Killed At Gettysburgh Holding Little Round Top". Note the peculiar spelling of Gettysburg. Can anyone explain?
 
Thanks for the photos, Lauren.

I intend to visit Strong Vincent's gravesite next time I go to Erie.

Regarding Gettysburgh, it is not an unexpected error considering "burgh"
historically is of ancient use, e.g., Edinburgh and, much later, Pittsburgh.
The latter, of course, was often labeled Pittsburg in the late 19th century.


Dave
 
A question I have: When I went to Little Round Top, there appears to be some misunderstanding as to where Vincent fell. If I remember correctly, there is a small white, gravestone- looking marker that says that he was hit there. Its near where the 44th New York's right flank met the 16th Michigan's left. But then, further up at the summit and right beside the 44th New York's castle-like monument, there is an inscription carved into the top of a rock that says he fell while standing atop of that very rock. I wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't stood on top of the very rock to get a better view of the battlefield and happened to look down and see the inscription under my feet. So my question is, does anyone know which claim is more legitimate (atop a boulder at the summit, or closer to the ranks near the 44th New York's right flank.)?
 
View attachment 8562View attachment 8563 I have intended to do this for a while now, but today was the first day in recent memory that we've seen some sun! After voting I made a quick trip to the Erie Cemetery so I could show you all Strong Vincent's grave. The Vincent family graves circle around the Celtic cross seen at center. The inscription reads "Brig. Gen'l. Strong Vincent Killed At Gettysburgh Holding Little Round Top". Note the peculiar spelling of Gettysburg. Can anyone explain?
I'm from Erie and didn't know who Vincent was until I visited the battlefield. Thanks for the info.
 
I'm from Erie and didn't know who Vincent was until I visited the battlefield. Thanks for the info.

There's a biography of him called "What Death More Glorious"; I thought it was quite a good read.

Note the peculiar spelling of Gettysburg. Can anyone explain?

Well, I'll take a stab: he's from an area closer to Pittsburgh. Those who did the engraving may have been too--maybe they thought it was spelled the same way? I'm told the "h" at the end of burg means it historically was pronounced something like, "--borough", like Pittsburgh was traditionally pronounced Pittsborough. So they may have been seeing Gettysburg in the same light like it was supposed to be "Gettysborough" to them. Of course, this is what I was told so you have to take it with a grain of salt. I have done no study of it.
 
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Statue of Strong Vincent on Little Round Top at Gettysburg - I believe this monument is actually dedicated to his entire brigade.
 
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A question I have: When I went to Little Round Top, there appears to be some misunderstanding as to where Vincent fell. If I remember correctly, there is a small white, gravestone- looking marker that says that he was hit there. Its near where the 44th New York's right flank met the 16th Michigan's left. But then, further up at the summit and right beside the 44th New York's castle-like monument, there is an inscription carved into the top of a rock that says he fell while standing atop of that very rock. I wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't stood on top of the very rock to get a better view of the battlefield and happened to look down and see the inscription under my feet. So my question is, does anyone know which claim is more legitimate (atop a boulder at the summit, or closer to the ranks near the 44th New York's right flank.)?
The information engraved on the rock is believed to have been done in 1864 or 1865 . The gravestone looking marker was dedicated in 1878. Who knows , but I lean towards the rock as being the actual wounding site .
 
A question I have: When I went to Little Round Top, there appears to be some misunderstanding as to where Vincent fell. If I remember correctly, there is a small white, gravestone- looking marker that says that he was hit there. Its near where the 44th New York's right flank met the 16th Michigan's left. But then, further up at the summit and right beside the 44th New York's castle-like monument, there is an inscription carved into the top of a rock that says he fell while standing atop of that very rock. I wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't stood on top of the very rock to get a better view of the battlefield and happened to look down and see the inscription under my feet. So my question is, does anyone know which claim is more legitimate (atop a boulder at the summit, or closer to the ranks near the 44th New York's right flank.)?
Unfortunately, I don't have an opinion, but here's the small marker on the northern slope of Little Round Top just below the New York Monument; Troiani's version at the top of this thread seems to depict him standing atop the rock you suggest. Which version is correct? Despite the stagey heroics behind some of the actions at Gettysburg - like the famous, "The men must see us today" from the commander of the Orange Blossoms, or Hancock's "There are times when the life of a corps commander doesn't count!" - standing atop a rock in plain sight during a battle at relatively close quarters sounds like a really, really BAD idea!

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Unfortunately, I don't have an opinion, but here's the small marker on the northern slope of Little Round Top just below the New York Monument; Troiani's version at the top of this thread seems to depict him standing atop the rock you suggest. Which version is correct?

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That monument doesn't state he was wounded, or died on that spot. It is probably just a monument in his honor, within the 3rd brigade line.
 
Capt. Judson wrote of Strong Vincent, “…the hero of Little Round Top, who with the less than twelve hundred men under his command, had saved the left on the day of the 2d, and who in offering up his life has stamped his character with the seal of the sublimest heroism." - History of the Eighty-Third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers by Capt. Amos M. Judson, 1881 (page 71)
 
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