Strong Vincent
Strong Vincent (June 17, 1837 – July 7, 1863) was an American lawyer from Pennsylvania who rose to brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving lasting recognition for commanding the defense of Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was mortally wounded while directing his brigade to hold the Union's vulnerable left flank against a Confederate assault.[1][2]
Born in Waterford, Erie County, Vincent pursued education at Trinity College from 1854 to 1856 before transferring to Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1859; he then worked in his family's iron foundry and read law before establishing a practice in Erie.[1][2] Enlisting as a first lieutenant in the 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in 1861, he advanced to lieutenant colonel and assumed regimental command as colonel following his superior's death at Gaines' Mill in 1862, participating in subsequent engagements including Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.[2] On July 2, 1863, during the second day of Gettysburg, Vincent—leading the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps—seized the initiative to occupy Little Round Top ahead of advancing Rebel forces, exhorting his men with the order "Don't give an inch" amid intense combat until a musket ball struck him fatally; he lingered until July 7, having received promotion to brigadier general on Meade's recommendation.[1][2] Vincent's brigade's stand proved pivotal in thwarting a potential Confederate envelopment, contributing to the Union's tactical success there, and his sacrifice is commemorated by statues and markers in Erie and Gettysburg, underscoring his role among the battle's unsung yet essential leaders.[1][2]
Early Life
Family Background and Childhood
Strong Vincent was born on June 17, 1837, in Waterford, Erie County, Pennsylvania, to Bethuel Boyd Vincent, an iron foundry owner with civic and political ties in the region, and Sarah Ann Strong Vincent.[1] [3] As the eldest of eight children, Vincent was named after his mother's maiden name, reflecting familial ties to the Strong lineage, whose progenitor Martin Strong had been an early settler and surveyor in Waterford from East Windsor, Connecticut.[4] [5] His paternal grandfather served as a judge, instilling in the family a tradition of public involvement and education amid Erie County's antebellum economic expansion driven by iron production and lake trade.[1] The Vincent family relocated to Erie proper during Vincent's boyhood, where he contributed to the household by laboring in his father's foundry, gaining practical skills as an iron molder for approximately two years.[6] [7] This early exposure to industrial work fostered a sense of industriousness in a household emphasizing literacy and civic duty, though specific childhood anecdotes remain limited to family records highlighting his upbringing in a connected, Protestant environment typical of northern Pennsylvania's growing mercantile class.[1]Education
Strong Vincent received his early education in the Waterford and Erie areas of Pennsylvania before leaving home at age 17 in 1854 to pursue advanced studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.[8] At Trinity, he focused on scientific and preparatory coursework, where he also courted Elizabeth Carter, whom he later married.[9] An altercation stemming from an insult to Elizabeth prompted his transfer in 1856 to Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1] At Harvard, Vincent concentrated on law alongside classical studies, reflecting the institution's rigorous liberal arts curriculum that emphasized ancient texts and moral philosophy.[10] He graduated in 1859 with an A.B. degree, placing in the middle of his class of approximately 100 students.[10] This academic foundation equipped him with a strong grounding in legal principles and humanistic ideals derived from Greek and Roman sources, shaping his intellectual outlook on civic responsibility and ethical leadership.[11]Pre-War Career
Legal Practice in Erie
Upon completing his studies at Harvard Law School in 1859, Strong Vincent returned to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he read law under local mentors in preparation for the bar. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in December 1860, marking the formal start of his professional career as an attorney.[12] Vincent established a solo practice in Erie, handling routine civil matters typical of a burgeoning lakeside port city reliant on commerce, shipping, and early industrial growth, though specific case records from this period remain sparse due to the brevity of his tenure.[13] Erie's economy in the late 1850s and early 1860s benefited from expanded rail connections to the Great Lakes and increased trade, with the city's population doubling from approximately 5,573 in 1850 to 10,645 by 1860, which heightened demand for legal services in property transactions and commercial disputes. Vincent's Harvard education and family ties to local business—his father operated an iron foundry—positioned him for community trust, enabling him to attract clients amid this expansion. His practice reflected the era's generalist approach, focusing on local litigation rather than specialized advocacy, as evidenced by the absence of reported appellate cases under his name prior to 1861. Vincent maintained his legal work through the secession winter of 1860–1861, even as Southern states began withdrawing from the Union following Abraham Lincoln's election, demonstrating a deliberate balance between professional obligations and growing awareness of national tensions. This period of focus on Erie affairs underscored his rapid integration into local professional circles, though the outbreak of hostilities in April 1861 prompted his swift pivot to military service, truncating what promised to be a steady ascent in the bar.[6]Political Activities and Views
Prior to the Civil War, Strong Vincent emerged as a vocal supporter of the Republican Party in Erie County, Pennsylvania, where he delivered orations advocating Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860. As a rising lawyer, Vincent participated in local political gatherings that rallied against Democratic opposition and Southern disunionist threats, framing Lincoln's candidacy as essential to upholding federal integrity. His speeches emphasized the Republican platform's commitment to restricting slavery's territorial expansion without endorsing immediate emancipation, prioritizing constitutional limits on national division over sectional moral crusades.[14][15] Vincent critiqued secessionist rhetoric as an unconstitutional breach of the Union's perpetual compact, arguing in public addresses that Southern states' withdrawal lacked legal basis under the federal framework established by the framers. This stance reflected a pragmatic Unionism grounded in legal fidelity rather than abolitionist fervor, distinguishing him from more radical anti-slavery advocates. In Erie, his influence helped mobilize community sentiment toward preserving national sovereignty, as evidenced by his role as a principal speaker at partisan assemblies alongside figures like Alfred King.[14] By early 1861, amid escalating crisis following Lincoln's inauguration, Vincent extended his oratory to recruitment drives, such as the August 24 meeting at Farrar Hall, where he urged enlistments for regiments like Colonel John W. McLane's to defend constitutional authority against rebellion. These efforts underscored his local prominence in fostering pro-Union resolve in a border county with mixed loyalties, setting the stage for his subsequent military commission without delving into partisan office-seeking.[14]Military Service
Enlistment and Initial Campaigns
Strong Vincent enlisted as a private in the Wayne Guards, a company of the Erie Regiment, on April 16, 1861, the day after President Abraham Lincoln's initial call for 75,000 volunteers following the Confederate firing on Fort Sumter.[8] The unit mustered for three months' service but disbanded upon term expiration in July 1861. Vincent then received a commission as lieutenant colonel of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, dated September 14, 1861, under Colonel John W. McLane; the regiment mustered into federal service at Erie, Pennsylvania, on September 8, 1861.[16] His prompt enlistment and subsequent leadership role stemmed from a profound commitment to upholding the Union and the constitutional order threatened by Southern secession, as evidenced by his pre-war writings and correspondence emphasizing federal authority and national integrity.[17] The 83rd Pennsylvania, assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, V Corps of the Army of the Potomac, departed for Washington, D.C., in October 1861 and saw initial duty guarding the capital. In March 1862, the regiment embarked on the Peninsula Campaign under Major General George B. McClellan, advancing toward Richmond via the York Peninsula. It participated in the Siege of Yorktown from April 5 to May 4, 1862, enduring artillery fire and trench warfare during the Union investment of Confederate fortifications.[16] [18] During the Seven Days Battles, Vincent's regiment engaged at Gaines' Mill on June 27, 1862, defending against repeated Confederate assaults across the Chickahominy River; the 83rd entered with about 550 officers and men, suffering 265 casualties in killed, wounded, and missing amid fierce hand-to-hand fighting.[19] Vincent, promoted to colonel around June 1862 amid the campaign's pressures, assumed effective field command during these actions due to McLane's absences from illness, demonstrating tactical acumen in positioning lines and rallying troops under fire.[16] These engagements instilled critical lessons in command under duress, emphasizing rapid maneuvers, supply management, and regimental discipline, which strengthened unit cohesion for subsequent operations despite the campaign's overall Union retreat.[20]