Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/915

Rh Five Forks, April 1st. After the retreat was under way his battalion had a spirited encounter with the enemy on April 7th, about ten miles from Appomattox, and when within six miles of that place, being close pressed by the enemy, he spiked his guns and made his escape with the intention of joining Johnston's army. He had nearly reached the crest of Blue Ridge when informed of the surrender. He then proceeded to Gordonsville and remained there until the middle of May, when he returned to Richmond and was paroled in June. Resuming his civil occupations he has ever since resided in the city, and honorably supplemented in peace his distinguished record during the years of war.

Captain Charles Grice Elliott, one of the citizens of Norfolk most prominently connected with its remarkable development since the war period, is a native of North Carolina, born at Elizabeth City, Pasquotank county, March 8, 1840. The first of his family in that State was Peter Elliott, a native of Ireland, who became clerk of Camden county, where he made his home. Peter Elliott married Tamer, daughter of Dempsey Burgess, who represented his district in Congress in 1795 and was lieutenant-colonel of the Second North Carolina regiment in 1776. Their son, Gilbert Elliott, father of Captain Elliott, was born in Camden county, N. C., and embraced the profession of law at Elizabeth City, in which he had attained distinction before his early death at the age of thirty-eight years. His wife was Sarah A. Grice, daughter of Charles Grice, a shipbuilder, who was one of the founders of Elizabeth City, N. C., and who held the offices there of clerk of the court and sheriff of the county. Her family, of Welsh descent, settled first at Philadelphia, establishing a line of shipbuilders, one of whom, Francis Grice, a nephew of Charles, built the Niagara, one of the six first-class frigates constructed by the United States government in 1856, and a number of other navy vessels. The mother of Captain Elliott survived to the age of seventy-two years and, during the progress of the war of the Confederacy, did notable work in behalf of the soldiery of North Carolina, which won for her a warm place in the hearts of the people. She was also active in the founding and maintenance of the Orphan asylum at Oxford, N. C. Captain Elliott was reared and educated until fourteen years of age at Elizabeth City, and then became a clerk in a general store, fitting himself for a mercantile life. At the age of fifteen he received, without his previous knowledge or request, but through the offices of influential friends, an appointment to the naval academy at Annapolis. But this he declined, not desiring a naval career. Two years later he was appointed deputy clerk of Pasquotank county by James W. Hinton, clerk, and for four years Captain Elliott practically had charge of the office. The coming of the momentous year of 1861 found him the orderly-sergeant of a military company at Elizabeth City called the "State Guards," under Capt. William F. Martin. This company, with which young Elliott had been connected two years, was mustered into the Confederate army in April, 1861, as a part of the Seventh regiment of North Carolina volunteers, of which Captain Martin became colonel. Elliott became lieutenant upon the promotion of Lieut. John B. Fearing to the captaincy. The regiment was assigned to coast duty, Fearing's company being stationed at Roanoke island and afterward at Boddie island to