Tuesday, August 12, 2008

John G. Elliott

John G. Elliott was born in 1842, possibly in Ohio and possibly the son of John (b. 1812) and Phebe (b. 1817).

Ohioan John (elder) married New York native Phebe and eventually settled in Ohio. Sometime after 1850 John moved his family to Michigan, and by 1860 he was working as a blacksmith and living in Lansing’s Third Ward, where his son John worked as a common laborer.

By the time the war broke out John was probably living in Lansing or Ingham County when he became a member of the Lansing militia company called the “Williams’ Rifles”, whose members would serve as the nucleus of Company G. Indeed, he was 19 years old and probably still living in Ingham County when he enlisted in Company G on May 10, 1861.

On July 20, Frank Siverd, also of Company G, wrote that following the action of July 18 at Blackburn’s Ford, near Bull Run, John along with several others from the company, was “exhausted and sent to the rear.” Soon after the battle of First Bull Run of July 21, Captain Robert Jefferds of Company G was sent home on furlough. Upon arrival in Lansing he reported to the Republican the condition of the men in the Regiment, and according to Jefferds, Elliott was sick in the Regimental hospital with inflammation of the lungs. John was reported absent sick in the hospital in May of 1863, was a cattle guard in from June through August and in September he was detached to Third Corps where he remained through February of 1864.

He eventually rejoined the Regiment and was a Corporal when he was killed in action on May 12, 1864, at Spotsylvania, Virginia. He was presumably buried among the unknown soldiers at Spotsylvania.

No pension seems to be available.

In 1870 his father (?) was still living in Lansing’s Third Ward.

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