Stephen Elliott, Jr. (October 26, 1830 – February 21, 1866) was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He was a planter, state legislator in South Carolina and militia officer before the Civil War and a fisherman after the war.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, p. 225, 2001. . (1. Sifakis says the reassignment of Elliott's brigade to Stewart's corps in 1865 took place on April 10 but Eicher gives the date as the month of March. This appears more likely since the Battle of Bentonville was in March. 2. Sifakis refers to Elliott "eventually surrendering with Johnston." Eicher states that there is no record of his parole or pardon. Bradley, 2000, p. 294 lists Lt. Col. J. Welsman Brown as in command of Elliott's brigade at the time of surrender. 3. Eicher states that Elliott was wounded in the arm at the Battle of Bentonville but Bradley, 1995, in an entire book about the battle, states that Elliott received a leg wound.) Elliott again was elected to the state legislature after the war but was unable to serve due to his early death. Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders'', Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, p. 81–82, 1959.

Early life

Stephen Elliott, Jr., was born on October 26, 1830Faust, Patricia L. "Elliott, Stephen. Jr." in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', New York: Harper & Row, pp. 239–240, 1986. (1. Unlike other sources, Faust gives the year of his birth as 1832. 2. Faust states that Elliott had to climb out of the crater at the

Battle of the Crater The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the siege of Petersburg. It took place on Saturday, July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, and the Union Arm ...

during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

in order to rally his men. Slotkin says he merely needed to leave his "bombproof" near the site of the crater.) in

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...

.Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988, First published New York, McKay, pp. 262–263, 1959. . (1. Boatner states that Elliott was mortally wounded at the

and was sent home where he died on March 21, 1866. This contradicts other sources which say he was wounded again at the

Battle of Bentonville The Battle of Bentonville (March 19–21, 1865) was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville, as part of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was the last battle between the armies of Union Maj. ...

and died February 21, 1866. Faust also gives the March 21, 1865 date but Eicher and Warner give February 21, 1866 and Slotkin simply gives February 1866. Sifakis merely says he died "a few months later.")Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, p. 203, 1988. Elliott's first immigrant ancestor to America was John Lewis Elliott who was himself the youngest son of famed general

Granville Elliott Major-General Granville Elliott, 1st Count Elliott (7 October 1713 – 10 October 1759), was a British military officer who served with distinction in several other European armies and subsequently in the British Army. He fought at the Batt ...

. John Lewis Elliott moved to

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

as a teenager shortly before the American Revolution. Stephen Elliott Jr. was the eldest son of Rev. Stephen Elliott and Ann Hutson Habersham. Rev. Elliott was a large plantation owner as well as a preacher to the Black people of the area.

Education

After studying at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

for a time, he graduated from South Carolina College in 1850.Slotkin, Richard. ''No Quarter: The Battle of the Crater, 1864''. New York: Random House, 2009. p. 60. He became a planter on

Parris Island, South Carolina Parris Island is a district of the city of Port Royal, South Carolina on an island of the same name. It became part of the city with the annexation of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on October 11, 2002. For statistical purposes, the ...

. Elliott also served in the

South Carolina legislature The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...

. He was captain of the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery, a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

company. Elliott also was known for his skill as a yachtsman and a fisherman. In 1854, he married Charlotte Stuart and had three children with her including Henry S. Elliott.

American Civil War

Elliott served in the Confederate States Army within South Carolina from the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 until the spring of 1864, advancing from captain to colonel. In order to participate in the bombardment of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...

, he attached himself to a different unit than his Beaufort Volunteer Artillery company. The Beaufort Artillery company became an infantry company, so Elliott started his official Confederate Army service as a captain in the 11th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He participated in the defense of

Port Royal, South Carolina Port Royal is a List of cities and towns in South Carolina, town on Port Royal Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,220 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Is ...

. He was wounded in the leg at an engagement at Fort Beauregard, South Carolina on November 7, 1861. In August 1862, he was appointed Chief of Artillery for the 3rd military district of South Carolina. He also made some raids against Union targets after the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

captured the South Carolina coastal islands, including making attacks with torpedoes. On April 9, 1863, his raiders sank the steamer ''George Washington''. In 1863, he became major and then lieutenant colonel of artillery. For a time in late 1863, he commanded the Confederate force at

, where he received a head wound during the bombardment of Charleston by Union forces on December 11, 1863. In the spring of 1864, Elliott was in command of

Holcombe's Legion The Holcombe Legion of South Carolina fought in the American Civil War as part of the Confederate States Army. It was a true legion, being made up of different types of units, in this case cavalry (four companies) and infantry (initially eight com ...

. At that time, he was ordered to

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...

with his regiment. He took command of Brigadier General

Nathan G. Evans Nathan George "Shanks" Evans (February 3, 1824 – November 23, 1868) was a United States Army officer who later served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army#Brigadier general, general in the Confederate States Army during the ...

' old brigade in the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

following the capture of Brigadier General William S. Walker at the Battle of Ware Bottom Church on May 20. On May 24, 1864, Elliott was promoted to brigadier general. On June 16, 1864, Elliott's brigade counterattacked after a Union Army assault took some advanced Confederate trenches in the Petersburg defenses, establishing a salient in the Confederate line.Slotkin, 2009, pp. 60–61 On July 30, 1864, Elliott's brigade was defending the Confederate line at Elliott's Salient near the spot the Union Army's mine blew, which precipitated the

. Elliott's brigade had nearly 700 soldiers killed or wounded in the explosion and ensuing battle.Slotkin, 2009, p. 328 Elliott was asleep in a "bombproof" near the line and awakened to find the destruction and chaos surrounding him.Slotkin, 2009, p. 187 Finding no troops nearby since he was close to the site of the explosion, he went to find his remaining men and organize a counterattack in line with a previous plan to deal with such a mine attack.Slotkin, 2009, p. 195 After finding two of his regiments mainly intact, Elliott led them forward, positioning them to defend against an assault and to counterattack. He then impatiently jumped on the parapet to lead his men in the attack. At this moment, Elliott was seriously wounded in the chest and left arm. After several months recovering from his wounds, which in fact had not healed properly,Bradley, Mark L. ''Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville''. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing Co., 1995. p. 33. Elliott joined

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...

in North Carolina, where he led a brigade of former Charleston defenders and largely untested soldiers.Bradley, 1995. p. 33 From January 2, 1865 through March 1865, the brigade was in Taliaferro's division of Hardee's corps. For the few remaining weeks of the war, the brigade was in Anderson's division of Stewart's corps. At the

on March 19, 1865, Elliott ordered his brigade to charge the Union left flank when he found that his line overlapped the Union line. The Union skirmish line was surprised and put to flight. The brigade's success did not last as they were broken and sent into retreat when they charged the strong Union main line, which was supported by artillery.Bradley, 1995, pp. 279–283 At the point where the Confederate retreat halted, in the middle of an artillery barrage, Elliott tried to reform his brigade for another assault, despite receiving a piece of shrapnel in his leg.Bradley, 1995, p. 286 In the event, Confederate commanders saw that the brigade was too shaken to make another attack and they were ordered simply to kneel or lie down and hold their ground.Bradley, 1995, p. 290 Elliott had again received another serious wound. His brigade surrendered with Johnston's army at

Bennett Place Bennett Place is a former farm and homestead in Durham, North Carolina, which was the site of the last surrender of a major Confederate army in the American Civil War, when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to William T. Sherman. The first meetin ...

near

Durham Station, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. With a population of 283,506 in the 2020 Census, Durham is the 4th-mos ...

. Elliott had been sent home to convalesce from his latest wound before Johnston's surrender. Although the Eichers found no record of his parole or pardon, in his 1866 eulogy, Trescot noted that he had received a special Executive pardon at the request of Union General

Quincy Gillmore Quincy Adams Gillmore (February 28, 1825 – April 7, 1888) was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his mod ...

, commanding at Hilton Head Island near Elliott's hut.Trescot, 1866, p. 28

Aftermath

After the Civil War, Elliott found that his plantation property had been seized for nonpayment of taxes and distributed to his former slaves.Slotkin, 2009, p. 345 They treated him well upon his return but it made it clear that the land no longer belonged to him. Thereafter, he returned to a home in Charleston and a former fishing hut at the seashore, began to make a living as a fisherman and was again elected to the South Carolina legislature. However, he was completely debilitated by his wounds and exposure and died before taking office on February 21, 1866, Freeman, Douglas S. ''Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command''. Volume 3, p. 777. New York: Scribner, 1944. at Aiken, South Carolina. He was buried in St. Helena's Episcopal Churchyard at Beaufort, South Carolina.

Notes

References

* Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. * Bradley, Mark L. ''Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville''. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing Co., 1995. p. 33. . * Eicher, John H., and

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Faust, Patricia L. "Elliott, Stephen, Jr." in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . p. 112. * Freeman, Douglas S. ''Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command''. Volume 3, p. 777. New York: Scribner, 1944. .
''The Land We Love: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Literature, Military History and Agriculture''
Volume 4. Charlotte, NC: Hill, Irwin & Co., 1868. . p. 454. Retrieved July 28, 2011. * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Slotkin, Richard. ''No Quarter: The Battle of the Crater, 1864''. New York: Random House, 2009. p. 60. . * Trescot, William Henry, South Carolina General Assembly. House of Representatives. ''In Memoriam: General Stephen Elliott''. Columbia, SC: Julian Selby and Co., State and City Printer, 1866. p. 14. . Retrieved July 28, 2011. * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott Jr., Stephen 1830 births 1866 deaths People from Beaufort, South Carolina Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Harvard College alumni University of South Carolina alumni