This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Elliott, Sales, Tutte, DeFrae, Myron, Kilborn, Roth, Secord, Erb, Mallory, Mann, Maines Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/JhU.2ACEB/3157 Message Board Post: Biographical sketch of WILLIAM ELLIOTT from the book entitled, "Biographical Memoirs of Saint Clair County, Michigan," published in 1903 by B. F. Bowen Publishers in Logansport, Indiana. ============================================ This bio spans three (3) pages: 343-345 WILLIAM ELLIOTT Very few of the gray-bearded veterans of the Civil war were mere boys when they entered the service at the opening of the hostilities. It takes considerable credulity to believe that a stripling of fourteen or fifteen years will make as good or even a better soldier than the man who is in his prime, has his growth and is endowed with the strength and vigor of mature years; yet we are told by history and by those who participated in that memorably struggle that the boy was a much better soldier than the man. He withstood fatigue, endured privation and complained less than his older brother, and when it came into the heat of battle he rarely knew anything about fear. As one grizzled veteran express it: “The little fools hadn’t sense enough to know when they were in danger.” It may not be particularly complimentary to him, but just one of that kind of soldiers was William Elliott, of Grant township, St. Clair county, Michigan, the subject of this sk! etch. He entered the service at seventeen, and served nearly three years, or until long after the close of hostilities in 1865. William Elliott was born in Zora county, Canada, November 16, 1847, and was the son of Nathan and Mary Elliott, natives of the state of New York. The mother died when William was a babe of six weeks, and the infant was entrusted to the care of relatives until the father married a second time. His second wife was Fannie Sales, of Buffalo, New York, who lived only long enough to bear him one child. For a third time he entered the bonds of matrimony, the third wife being Caroline Tutte. There were eight children by the first marriage and none by the last. In 1849, when the subject was but two years old, Nathan Elliott, his father, moved the family to Michigan. He located in Blaine, Grant township, then in Burtchville, St. Clair county. Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, in the woods and far from any road or habitation of man. The first habitation of the family was made of brush, hastily constructed so as to afford some shelter from the storms. In time a log cabin took its place, and this was the abode of the family for many years. The male members of the household were adept in wielding the ax, and under their united efforts the forest soon disappeared and was replaced by a fine farm. The father died at the age of eighty-three. In politics he was a Republican, in religion a Baptist. In December, 1863, William Elliott, then but a little more than seventeen years old, was nervously anxious to be one of those to go to the front in defense of Old Glory. His age and his size, however, were against him and he was unpatriotic enough to entertain fears that the rebellion would be put down before he would be able to take a hand in it. Today if you were to ask him what was the period of his slowest growth, he would tell you if was between December, 1863, and April 1, 1864, the time when he was waiting to be big enough to be a soldier. The government’s necessity at length gave him the coveted opportunity, and William Elliott and his brother John were enrolled in Company C, Twenty-second Regiment, Michigan Volunteers, at Port Huron, being among the first recruits from St. Clair county. They were first ordered to Nashville, Tennessee, then to Chattanooga, where the regiment was stationed, and where they helped to build bridges and warehouses. From there! they went to Lookout Mountain, where they put in part of one season raising vegetables for the hospitals. Later they went to Kingston and Big Shanty, then back again to Chattanooga, then to Atlanta, and finally they went skirmishing after Hood’s army. While they were doing all this marching and countermarching they were, of course, relieving the dull monotony by an occasional fight. Uncle Sam having no more bridges or warehouses to build, southern roads to be traveled or rebels to be licked, he gave Private William Elliott his discharge on August 23, 1865. Returning to Michigan, Mr. Elliott found his father an invalid, incapable of taking care of his affairs, and for a period of seven years, or up to the time of his death, he continued so afflicted. After his father’s death William Elliott was united in marriage to Miss Clarissa DeFrae Myron, a native of Canada, and an adopted daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Michael Myron. To this union six children were born, viz: Ulysses S. died at the age of four years; Jessie May died at two years; Mary P. married George Kilborn, of Blain, Michigan, and has two children, William F. and Birdie; Charles, living in Detroit, Michigan, is in the employ of the Michigan Central Railroad; he was twice married, his first wife being Annie Roth; Frank, who is an employe (sic) of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, married Miss Ella Secord, and they have two children, Harold and Beth; Roy is a soldier in the regular army, being now stationed at Fort Quincy, Utah. He served in Cuba and in the Phi! lippines, and was stationed for a long time in San Francisco. The mother of these children died March 6, 1884. Miss Clara Erb, a native of Grant township, St. Clair county, became the present wife of William Elliott, the married occurring February 26, 1886. She is the daughter of Christopher and Martha Erb, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to St. Clair county about 1860. To this second marriage four children have been born, viz: Pearl died at three years of age; Annie May, Mattie and Claude dying in infancy. After the war Mr. Elliott spent eighteen winters in the woods, lumbering, at Deckerville and Rifle river. The summer time he employed in farming, to which he has continued to devote his attention. In politics he is a Republican, and is one of the active party workers. He served as deputy sheriff for two terms under Sheriffs Mallory and Mann, this being succeeded by four years’ service as deputy to Sheriff Maines, during that time residing at Port Huron. He was constable a number of terms, has been school director, and held at different times a number of township o! ffices, being also postmaster of Blaine during Harrison’s administration. He is a member of Archie Madison Post, G. A. R., at Avoca. In the settlement of his father’s estate he received eighty acres of the old home place, and this he has improved with all necessary buildings, including a comfortable and commodious home. He carries on general farming and stock raising, and has been quite successful. He is a capable, intelligent man, whose friends are many and whose foes are few. Mrs. Elliott and daughters are members of the Baptists church at Port Huron, she being also related to Jeddo Golden Lodge, Ladies of the Maccabees. ============================================ PLEASE NOTE: I do not have any personal interest in researching the ELLIOTT surname or the St. Clair county, Michigan location. I am merely posting a select number of the biographical sketches found in the above-referenced book *upon specific written request* as a service to the genealogical community; these transcriptions are intended for personal use and are not being done for profit. Please do not contact me with regard to research interests in the above as I have no personal ties. Thank you.