Thomas Elliott, Rapides Parish Louisiana
Submittd by Betty Gill Couch and David Couch
Date: January 15, 2010

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THOMAS ELLIOTT, REVOLUTIONARY WAR OFFICER AND AIDE-D-CAMPE TO 
GENERAL FRANCIS MARION

BY Betty Jean Gill Couch (Descendant of Thomas Elliott & William David Elliot) 
and David Couch

Thomas Elliott was born in Virginia about 1760 or 1761. His father was George 
Elliott of Virginia. George Elliott likely migrated from England to Virginia.  
George Elliott and one of his sons were killed at the Revolutionary War, Battle 
of Brandywine on 11 September 1777. Thomas Elliott left Virginia after the Battle 
of Brandywine.  

Thomas Elliott became responsible for the care of his mother and younger brothers 
and sisters, after the death of his father. After the death of George Elliott, a 
group of Tories harassed Thomas Elliott’s mother and family, and according to 
family information, Thomas killed two of the Tories. After this incident, Thomas 
Elliott, his mother, and his brothers and sister left Virginia and moved to South 
Carolina. In South Carolina Thomas Elliott joined the forces of General Francis 
Marion, the “Swamp Fox.” In the South Rapides (Louisiana) Chronicle, Vol. 5 
No. 28, Monday, September 17, 1973, it was reported that Thomas Elliott continued 
in the service until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown and that Thomas Elliott 
participated in the Battle of Yorktown. It is certainly possible that Thomas 
Elliott did participate in the Battle of Yorktown because Lighthorse Harry Lee 
had been sent to South Carolina to assist General Francis Marion, and prior to 
The Battle of Yorktown, Lighthorse Harry left for Virginia, taking troops with 
him. Thus is was possible that Thomas Elliott went to Yorktown with Lighthorse 
Harry Lee. Family records indicate that Tomas Elliott was one of General Francis 
Marion’s aide-de-camps. 

Information that has been passed down by the family indicates that the Elliott, 
Phillips, and Erwin families left Virginia about the same time, possibly traveling 
together. These families traveled to the south and southwest through the Carolinas, 
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and into southeast Louisiana.

Thomas Elliott married sometime between 1790 and 1792, and that he lived in the 
portion of Warren County, Georgia, that later became Jefferson County. The 
marriage document of Thomas Elliott’s son, Willis Elliott, indicates that Thomas 
Elliott was married to Elizabeth Mayers. Thomas Elliott is on the 1794 Warren 
County, Georgia, Tax List in Grays District (Source: Georgia Census Records.)   
Thomas Elliott and Elizabeth Mayers had three sons, all born in a portion of 
Warren County, Georgia, that later became Jefferson County. The sons were William 
David Elliott (b: 1 February 1795 in Warren Co, GA. d: 30 January 1865 in Rapides 
Parish, LA); Willis Elliot (1793-1860) and Edward Elliott (1794-  ).  

After the birth of his three sons, William David Elliott, Willis Elliot, and 
Edward Elliott, Thomas Elliott moved from Georgia to Spanish West Florida 
(the East Feliciana Parish area of Louisiana). Thomas Elliott died left a will 
dated in 1805. In the succession of the will of Thomas Elliott it can be 
determine that he died in 1805. It is clear that his wife was deceased prior 
to 1805, as the will left the three boys in the care of David White. Volume 15 
of the Index of the Archives of Spanish West Florida shows that the Will of 
Thomas Elliott and Succession is contained on pages 283 through 291 of the 
transcriptions from Spanish to English. 

William David Elliott and Willis Elliott grew up in the East Feliciana Louisiana 
Parish area. Until after 1809 this area was known as Spanish West Florida. 
Feliciana Parish was formed in 1810 from Spanish West Florida. The area of 
Feliciana Parish had grown so populated that by 1824, it was divided into East 
Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish.  

It is known that before leaving EAST FELICIANA, both WILLIAM DAVID and WILLIS 
ELLIOTT served in the War of 1812 in the 10 and 20 Consolidated Regiment of 
the Louisiana Militia.  It is also known that they served with ANDREW JACKSON 
during The BATTLE of NEW ORLEANS in 1815.  [Added: WILLIAM ELLIOTT was Quarter 
Master Sergeant of the 10th and 20th Regiment and WILLIS ELLIOTT was a private 
in the unit.  Source: War of 1812 Service Records, Roll Box 66, Roll Exct 602, 
National Archives, Washington, D. C.]

Both of the brothers are on the 1820 Census of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.  
William David Elliott is in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, on the 1830 census, and 
his brother, Willis Elliott, is on the 1830 Census of St. Landry Parish, 
Louisiana.             

William David Elliott lived near Glenmora, Louisiana, in Rapides Parish, 
Louisiana. He was married to Elizabeth Andrews (b: 17 August 1800 in Connecticut  
d: 17 August 1866 in Rapides Parish, LA.) William David Elliott and his wife, 
Elizabeth Andrews, are both buried in Butters Cemetery near Glenmora and Forest 
Hill, Louisiana. 

Willis Elliott lived in Pine Prairie, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, in a portion 
of St. Landry Parish that later became Evangeline Parish. Willis was married to 
first wife, Delia Bushnell, on 19 September 1820, and to second wife, Abigail 
Lebarge on 18 November 1824. Willis Elliott died in Pine Prairie, Louisiana, 
in 1860 in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.