Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/916

856 garrison a small fort at Oregon inlet. The Hatteras inlet forces being attacked by the enemy and captured, Fearing's company and one other fell back to Roanoke island, where they were reinforced by the Third Georgia regiment under Col. A. R. Wright, and the island was fortified. The two companies of the Seventh regiment then formed the garrison of a battery on Pork Point. Colonel Wright made an expedition to Chickamicomico beach and engaged the Twentieth Indiana regiment, driving it under cover of the Federal guns at Fort Hatteras. In this expedition Lieutenant Elliott commanded a detachment of his company. In February, 1862, the island was attacked by the expedition under General Burnside and Admiral Goldsborough, and during this action Lieutenant Elliott commanded the only rifle gun on the island. After two days' bombardment by the fleet and an attack by the largely superior force of Burnside, the entire Confederate garrison surrendered and, after ten days' detention on board ship, were released on parole. Lieutenant Elliott did not obtain an exchange until the fall of 1862. At this time Brig.-Gen. James G. Martin offered him a commission as first lieutenant and aide-de-camp, which he promptly accepted and joined the staff of the general before Petersburg, Va. Soon afterward General Martin was assigned to command the district of North Carolina, with headquarters at Raleigh, and charged with the duty of completing the organization of the troops. Lieutenant Elliott was engaged in this service until the fall of 1863, when General Martin was assigned to duty in the field in North Carolina. Elliott was then promoted to be captain and assistant adjutant-general and served with the command on the line from Virginia to Cape Fear and, during its subsequent assignment at Wilmington, in the department of Major-General Whiting. In February, 1864. the brigade made a successful expedition to Shepherdsville, near Morehead City, destroying a railroad bridge, defeating the enemy and severing the Federal communications with New Bern. After the capture of Plymouth, N. C., by General Hoke, Martin's brigade was stationed there, but soon afterward was ordered to Petersburg to defend that city against the advance of Butler. On May 20, 1864, this brigade was part of the right wing of Beauregard's army, under command of Maj.-Gen. D. H. Hill, in the victorious assault upon the Federals, and subsequently, the brigade was made part of the division commanded by Maj.-Gen. Robert F. Hoke. As adjutant-general of the brigade, Captain Elliott participated in all its operations in the armies of Lee, Beauregard, Bragg and Joseph E. Johnston. The principal engagements of the brigade were that of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, the actions in the defense of Petersburg under Beauregard from June 15th to September 15th, the operations of Longstreet in front of Richmond until the close of 1864, the battles near Fort Fisher, N. C. in both attacks upon that post, the engagements under Bragg, near Kinston, N. C., and the final action at Bentonville with Johnston's army, a part of which it formed in the capitulation at Greensboro. Captain Elliott participated in every action, but, fortunately, escaped wounds, and shared in the brilliant record of Hoke's division. On returning to the pursuits of peace, Captain Elliott engaged in farming, but, in 1867, removed to Norfolk, Va., and embarked in the wholesale grocery business. In 1878 he turned from this to become a cotton factor and