Thomas McCurdy Vincent was born on November 15, 1832, in Green, Ohio. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1853 and received a commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the 2nd United States Artillery. He took part in the Seminole Wars in the 1850s, and he was promoted to 1st lieutenant on October 20, 1855. He married Laura Lancaster on August 18, 1857, and their son Thomas was born around 1865.
In August 1859, he became an assistant professor of chemistry at West Point. In July 1861, he was promoted to captain and assistant adjutant general. He repeatedly requested a position in the field, but Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton declined his requests, writing that “the public interests demanded his presence in the war department.” He eventually earned a promotion to brevet brigadier general.
Vincent remained in the army after the war. By 1870, he owned $12,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. He retired in 1896, and he died in Washington, D.C., on November 30, 1909.