GDG- RE: Strong Vincent

[GEODEUTSCH at aol.com]

The story of the Strong Vincent sword and the Smithsonian is an interesting  
one. The sword was given by Elizabeth Vincent many years after the war (I 
don't  recall the exact year). The Smithsonian values it very highly.
In the mid-1990s, as part of the Erie Bicentennial Commission, the  Strong 
Vincent Commemoratives Committee tried to secure a loan of the sword and  even 
with the help of Congressman Phil English, but the Smithsonian was  determined 
not to lend it out, even though the sword was in  storage. Eventually, when 
the Smithsonian opened its remodeled Civil  War exhibit several years later, 
Vincent's sword was prominently displayed.  Since the Museum of American History 
has been closed for nearly two years for  renovation, I have no idea if it 
will continue to be displayed when the museum  reopens sometime this fall.
In the late 90s, several members of the Vincent Committee stopped in DC on  
the way to a Civil War tour in Virginia. I made arrangements with one of the  
Museum's curator's to at least get to see the sword. It was locked in  a 
vault-like cabinet inside a locked storage room for the sword collection,  which was 
accessed through the locked room holding the Smithsonian's extensive  
firearm's collection. Ironically, as other members of the Committee were  handling 
the sword, I picked up a very attractive 18th Century sword that was on  a shelf 
outside the vault. I asked the curator about that sword and she told me  it 
was George Washington's sword! I remarked that it was interesting that  
Vincent's sword was locked in the vault & Washington's was on the  shelf. She 
explained that it had been recently returned from loan and  had not yet been placed 
back in the vault. I just smiled to myself that the  Museum would lend 
Washington's field sword, but not Strong Vincent's and that I  was able to casually 
pick up GW's sword from the shelf while SV's was locked in  the vault.
 
The second question in Vol. 50 was regarding John McLane, the 83rd PA's  
first colonel, killed at Gaines's Mills. Michael Davidson's post was correct  that 
the Pennsylvania legislature made McLane a general in 1961. The back  story 
is that a local school district named their new high school "General  McLane" 
without him ever being a general. Northwest PA's State Senator William  Sesler 
then introduced a bill to "correct" the local board's "oversight." In the  
city of Erie, the high school named for Strong Vincent has its sports team  
nicknames the "Colonels." So ironically, McLane who died a colonel has  General 
McLane High School and General Vincent's high schoolers are the  Colonels.
 
Vincent's promotion to Brigadier General (full rank, not brevet) was fast  
tracked by Lincoln & Stanton. The promotion paper was given to him on his  death 
bed at the Bushman Farm.
 
Finally, a personal word about Dr. Roy Stonesifer of Edinboro  University of 
Pennsylvania who died last year. Stoney was my close friend and a  mentor to 
generations of history students. GDG poster Dave Ward is but  one of many of 
his devoted students. Stoney made history, especially the  Civil War, come alive 
to his students and to the many hundreds who went on  his Gettysburg/Civil 
War tours over more than thirty years. He  was born in Hanover, PA, graduated 
from Gettysburg College, spent time as a  Gettysburg Park Ranger early in his 
career and earned his PhD from Penn  State. His death was a true loss to the 
Civil War community.
 
George Deutsch
 
 



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