THE MAKING OF A TOWNSHIP, Fairmount Township, Grant Co. Indiana 1829
to 1917, by Edgar M. Baldwin, page 79
William S. Elliott is a native of grant Co. He was born Jan. 28,
1844, at the Elliott cabin, which then stood on the present site of the Mess
Hall of the National Military Home. His grandparents, Isaac and Rachel
(Overman) Elliott, with two children, came originally from Virginia, settled
in Wayne Co. Ind. and in 1822 traveled in wagons to a point near the
Mississinewa River, where they entered land since taken over by the
Government and now included within the grounds forming the Soldiers' Home
property.
William S. Elliott as a boy attended the public schools, as well as
the schools conducted by the Society of Friends in that day. His ancestors
for many generations were Quakers. He engaged in agricultural pursuits in
his boyhood, until August, 1862, when he volunteered his services to his
country. He enlisted in Company c, Eighty-ninth Indiana Regiment of
Infantry, at eighteen years of age. This company was in the latter part of
the war in command of Capt. J. F. Jones, lately deceased. The term of
service for which Mr. Elliott had volunteered was three years. The regiment
was captured by the Confederates while guarding a railroad bridge at
Mumfordsville, Ky. before he had been out six weeks. In a short time he was
paroled and sent home, under instructions not to take up arms against the
Confederacy until properly exchanged.
In six weeks this exchange was arranged by the authorities and
Elliott again joined his command at Indianapolis. After some time of hard
drilling the command was ordered to Memphis, Tenn. Here he did post duty
while the Union Army was sent on to Vicksburg. In the weeks following he
did much important service, being promoted for his fidelity and efficiency.
With twelve men he was detailed to escort a dozen captured
Confederate officers to Johnson's Island, in Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio.
The prisoners were taken in a separate car set aside for the purpose. At
Centralia, Illinois, and Bellefontaine, Ohio, the prisoners attracted
numbers of Southern sympathizers, several offering pistols to the prisoners.
As one of the guards on duty at Centralia Elliott, with gun and bayonet,
pressed the crowd back from the car.
At another time, after the surrender of Vicksburg, July 10, 1863, he
was detailed with others to guard iron safes containing $2,000,000 sent by
the Government on the "City Of Madison" from Memphis to Vicksburg to pay off
Union troops.
In October, 1864, Elliott was with his command in Missouri, then
under General Pleasanton, in pursuit of the Confederate General Price.
Captain Jones had responded to a detail to guard a water tank twelve miles
west of Sedalia. General Pleasanton reminded captain Jones that it would be
a dangerous undertaking, telling him that he and his entire command might be
killed or captured.
"You may have all the men you require for this work," remarked
General Pleasanton, "but they must be picked men. You now realize the
dangerous character of the duty you are about to perform. Are you ready?"
Captain Jones hesitated.
"Why do you hesitate?" asked the General
"I am not hesitating because of the hazardous character of the
mission," replied Jones, I was simply wondering, General, if you would
allow me to take my own company with me."
The General agreed to the suggestion. So Captain Jones, with Company
C, made up principally of Fairmount Twp. and Grant Co. men, went to the
water tank and held this important source of water supply until relieved.
After more than three years' service, mostly with the Sixteenth Army
Corps, Mr. Elliott was mustered out on July 26, 1865, at Mobile, Alabama.
Returning home he was married in September, 1865, to Miss Ruth Wilson,
daughter of Jesse E. Wilson. She died in 1867.
Later he married Miss Alice Radley, daughter of Samuel and Mary
(Bull) Radley, by whom he is the father of eleven children, all living. Mr.
Elliott has been uniformly successful in his various pursuits, and has
retired with a competency ample to insure the comfort of himself and wife.
He has been and is now useful in the church and
enterprising in his work for educational and civic progress. He has for
several years devoted considerable time and attention to the welfare of
White's Institute, located in Wabash Co., of which institution he is at
present trustee. In all his activities he has been a conspicuous factor. As
soldier, as farmer, as church man, as promoter of educational and civic
welfare, Mr. Elliott is not only a many sided man, with a broad experience
and a thorough understanding of public affairs, but he is a type of the
useful citizen of whom there are entirely too few in the average American
community.