George F . Elliott George Frank Elliott ( November 30 , 1846 – November 4 , 1931 ) was a United States Marine Corps major general . He was the tenth Commandant of the Marine Corps between 1903 and 1910 . Biography . George Elliott , born in Eutaw , Alabama , was appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1868 and was honorably discharged in June 1870 upon the completion of a two - year course there . In October 1870 , he was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps by the President of the United States . Second Lieutenant Elliott served at the Marine Barracks , Washington , D . C . , from the time of his appointment to the Marine Corps until 1871 , when he was transferred to Portsmouth , New Hampshire . He later served on the " Vermont " , the " Frolic " , and the " Monongahela " , and was on duty at the Marine Barracks at Norfolk , Virginia , in 1877 when a battalion of Marines was ordered to that post from Washington , D . C . during the strike of railway employees . He was in command of the detachment that guarded the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tunnel and also acted as guard for the paymaster of the railroad . He returned to Norfolk upon detachment from that duty . He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1878 . In 1880 , 1stLt Elliott was ordered to duty on board the " Alliance " and served at the Marine Barracks , Boston , Massachusetts , from 1882 to 1884 , when he returned to Norfolk . He was with the Marine battalion sent to the Isthmus of Panama in 1885 . He was promoted to captain in 1892 . In 1894 , he was attached to the as Fleet Marine Officer when that ship was sent to China to guard American interests during the war between Japan and China . He and his men made a forced march to Seoul , a distance of , part of which was through submerged rice fields , in eleven hours . In June 1895 , Captain Elliott was sent to the Marine Barracks , Brooklyn , New York , and from 22 April to 22 September 1898 , he was on duty with the Marine Battalion of the North Atlantic Fleet . The Fleet was sent to hold its position at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . On 14 July 1898 , he was in command of Companies C and D , composed of 150 Marines and 50 Cubans , which were ordered to destroy the well at Cuzco , about six miles ( 10 km ) from Guantanamo , and the only water supply of the Spaniards within twelve miles ( 19 km ) . Two and a half miles from Cuzco , half of the Cubans and the first platoon of Company C passed over a mountain to the left , hoping to cut off the Spanish pickets . In this they failed , and the main force was discovered by the Spanish outpost , which retreated immediately and gave the alarm to the main body , whose headquarters were in a house at Cuzco . A high mountain separated the two forces at this point and each attempted to gain its crest as a point of vantage . The Marines were successful , but were fired on heavily by the enemy from the valley . Following a straggling retreat by the Spaniards , the Marines began the return march , the well having been destroyed . For his eminent and conspicuous conduct in this engagement , Capt Elliott was advanced three numbers in his grade . In October 1898 , he was detached from Brooklyn ’ s rolls and ordered to the Marine Barracks , Navy Yard , Washington , D . C . He was promoted to Major ( United States ) in March 1899 . In August 1899 , Major Elliott was ordered to command the Second Battalion of Marines for duty in the Philippines and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in September of that year . From October 1899 to January 1900 , LtCol Elliott commanded the First Brigade of Marines in the Philippines . During this period he engaged in the Battle of Novaleta . On his return to the United States he was on duty at Norfolk until 1903 , when he was given command of the Marine Barracks , Washington , D . C . , and promoted to colonel in March 1903 . On 3 October 1903 , he was appointed Brigadier General Commandant of the Marine Corps , relieving Major General Charles Heywood . In December 1903 , he was ordered to command a Provisional Brigade of Marines organized for service in Panama . He departed on 27 , December with the Brigade on board the , arriving at Colón on 3 January 1904 , and went into camp at Haute Obispo , Panama . He relinquished command of the Brigade on 15 February 1904 , and resumed his duties at Headquarters Marine Corps on the 25th of the same month . On 21 May 1908 , he was appointed Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps . One of the most difficult endeavors of Maj . Gen . Elliott ' s career was his successful resistance to attempts to remove seagoing Marines from capital ships and to merge the Corps into the Army . Also during his tenure the home post of the Corps , Marine Barracks , 8th and I Streets , Washington , underwent major changes . In 1903 , the old barracks were condemned and pulled down and by 1910 had been rebuilt essentially in their present form . He was placed on the retired list on 30 November 1910 upon reaching the statutory retirement age . Major General Elliott died at his home in Washington , D . C . , shortly after noon 4 November 1931 after a brief illness . His remains were interred in the Arlington National Cemetery . Namesake . USS George F . Elliott ( AP - 13 ) , a Heywood - class transport ( 1918 – 1942 ) , was named in honor of Maj Gen Elliott . The ship was sunk off Guadalcanal in 1942 . USS George F . Elliott ( AP - 105 ) – Commissioned : 23 September 1943 ; Decommissioned : 10 June 1946 General Elliott ' s nephew was Vice Admiral Elliott Buckmaster , USN ( 1889 - 1976 ) VADM Buckamster commanded the USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway .