The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-20
COL WA ELLIOT.
rs COMMISSIONER
SECRETARY or WAR NAMES
HIM FOR THE PLACE. 4 .37
She Appointment Yesterday South
Carolina Confederate Veteran
Receives High Honor From
the Government. I Il &SEI

slsshc sshc Ctate olt Tue 1fttl, was yesterday
appointed by Secretary Of War Taft
Ito be the government commissioner to
mark the graves Of Confederate SOL
Sdiers who died in Northern prisons OF
hospitals. The position provides a
SALARY of $4,000 a, year. Col, Elliott
Swas selected by the secretary Of war
sover a large number mentioned for
the place and this compliment is par
ticularly gratifying to his South Car
olina friends. The news of his ap-
pointment was received in the city
early yesterday. Col. Elliott was in
Washington and is expected here to-
day. ..'...
.=.. A Real War, Record. b., d
The appointment Of Col. Elliott to
This" position is peculiarly appropri-
ate in view of, his record as a soldier
and his services to the South. Imme-
diately upon the secession Of South
Carolina he was appointed upon tho
staff Of Gov. Pickens, and served ac-
lively for several months fortify-
ing the coast of the state. In the at
tack on Fort Sumter in April, 1861,
he served with the Palmetto Guard in
the iron clad battery on Morris Is
land, and with them occupied Fort
Sumter on the night Of its surrender.
Immediately afterwards Col. Elliott
Joined Kershaws's regiment in Vir-
ginia; as first lieutenant of the
Brooks Guards Of Charleston, and
took part in the first battle of Manas-
sas, the oampaignon on the peninsula
and all the other service of that
splendid regiment during the first
year Of the war. Upon the reorgani-
zation of the regiment in 1862 the
sompany was converted into a light
battery, known as the Brooks artil-
lery or Rhett's battery, and with it
he went through the Seven Days.
fight, Second. Manassas, Sharpsburg
and the first battle Of fredericksburg.
He had the honor of commanding the
battery in the battles of second Ma
nassas and Sharpsburg, in which lat
ter, by o'clock in the morning, the
battery lost 26 men and 18 horses
killed and wounded. He was promot-
cd captain and ordered to Vicksburg
rs assistant adjutant general to Gen.
Stephen d. Lee Of South Carolina !;
participated in the Vicksburg cam
paign, In the battle Of Bakers Creek,
in which his horse was killed, and in
the 43 days siege of Vicksburg was
specially assigned as artillery officer
to dislodge the enemy by hand gren-
ades, improvised from artillery shells,
from the ditch Of fort which had
been captured during Gen. Grant s
assault on the Confederate lines on
the 22nd day Of May; was promoted
major for gallantry; was assistant ad-
jutant general of the department of
Alabama, Mississippi and east Lou
>isiana; took part in tho battle Of
Harrisburg, Miss; was transferred to
the army Of Atlanta and was present
in the battles Of 2sth July and Jones'
boro, went with Hood into Tennessee
and was in the fight at Florence, Ala,
and the battles Of Franklin and Nash
vile. On the day after the battle Of
Nashville he fought with the rear
guard at Franklin and the other des-
perate fighting of that terrible day,
including hand-to-hand encounter
with the encmy's cavalry; was trans
ferred to North Carolina and was
in the battles of Kinston and Benton
vile, in which latter he was severely
wounded, from which he was in bed
when the army surrendered. He was
in numerous other fights and skir-
nishes of which is made no mention.
From Sumter to Bentonville, the first
and last battles of the war, he had
but one furlough and that was while
disabled for service. This is a record
which speaks for itself.
After the war he returned to South
Carolina and took up the practice Of
law. He was elected to the state leg
islature and was delegate to the ma
tional democratic convention in 1876
and 1888 and was democratic presi-
Dental elector at large in 1880. He
then served ID years in congress and
on his retirement moved to Column
bia, where he has since been practi-
eing law. i3H ,..|.tE
The bill providing for his position
was introduced by Senator Foraker
Of Ohio, and there was very keen