George Crockett Strong (October 16, 1832 – July 30, 1863) was a Union brigadier general in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Biography

Strong was born in

Stockbridge, Vermont Stockbridge is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, which contains the village of Gaysville. The population was 718 at the 2020 census. Stockbridge was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene i ...

, and attended

Williston Seminary Williston Northampton School (simply referred to as Williston) is a private, co-educational, day and boarding college-preparatory school in Easthampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1841. History Williston Seminary wa ...

but left after 1851. Strong's ancestors all came to from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and they all arrived in early colonial

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

as part of the Puritan migration to New England between 1620 and 1640. He attended

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

, but left for the

U.S. Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as commissioned officers in the United States Army. The academy was founded ...

, from which he graduated in 1857. He served as an ordnance officer with the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on the staff of General McDowell at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

. He later served on the staffs of Generals

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

and

Benjamin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general (United States), major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, ...

. "Cadet Life at West Point by an Officer of the United States Army" (Boston: T.O.H.P. Burnham, 1862), although published anonymously, is attributed to Strong. Strong commanded an expedition sent from

Ship Island Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. Hurricane Camille split the island into two separate islands (West Ship Island and East Ship Island) in 1969. In early 2019, ...

against

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

, in April 1862, and another sent against Ponchatoula, and was commissioned brigadier general of volunteers in November 1862. He was wounded on July 18, 1863, while leading the assault against

Fort Wagner Fort Wagner or Battery Wagner was a beachhead fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. Named for deceased Lt. Col. Thomas M. Wagner, it was the site of two American Civil War ba ...

Morris Island Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km2) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The i ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, and died of

tetanus Tetanus (), also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'' and characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually l ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He posthumously received a commission as major general, dated from the day of the battle. Strong is buried in

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope, Brooklyn, South Slope/Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, Win ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where there is a monument dedicated to his memory.Jeffrey I. Richman, Green-Wood Cemetery Historian and Director of the Civil War Project. His name is the first listed on a monument in

Easthampton, Massachusetts Easthampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The city is in the Pioneer Valley, near the five colleges in the college towns of Northampton and Amherst. The population was 16,211 at the 2020 census. History E ...

dedicated to those who were killed in the "Great Rebellion". Beneath his name are the names of all the other Easthampton natives who died during the Civil War. The memorial claims he graduated third in his class at West Point.

Fort Strong Fort Strong is a former U.S. Army Coast Artillery fort that occupied the northern third of Long Island (Massachusetts), Long Island in Boston Harbor. The island had a training camp during the American Civil War, and a gun battery was built there ...

, a U.S. Coast Artillery fort at the northern end of Deer Island in Boston Harbor, was named after him in 1899.

In popular culture

Strong was portrayed by Jay O. Sanders in the film '' Glory'' (1989).

References

External links

historycentral.com
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strong, George Crockett 1832 births 1863 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Union army generals People of Vermont in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War Infectious disease deaths in New York (state) Deaths from tetanus Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery People from Windsor County, Vermont

Biography

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading

External links