Warren C. Elliott Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 359-361

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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WARREN C. ELLIOTT, an honored veteran of the Civil war and a prominent 
farmer of Clark county, residing on section 13, Lincoln township, is a 
native of New York, born in Schuyler, June 3, 1845. His father, who was 
a butcher by trade, died in 1851, being scalded to death by falling 
into a cauldron of boiling water while butchering hogs. After this sad 
event our subject was taken to the home of his grandfather in Magnolia, 
Wisconsin, while his only brother, then a baby, was given a home by an 
uncle. The mother went to Rockford, Illinois, where she engaged in 
teaching school for several years. She was again married, in 1855, her 
second union being with James L. Bayle, and then moved to Sheboygan, 
Wisconsin, where her husband had a farm and where they remained until 
the fall of 1870. The following thirteen years were passed near 
Spencer, in Clay county, Iowa, but since 1883 they have made their home 
in South Dakota. 

At the age of fifteen years, Warren C. Elliott went to live with his 
mother, and he began his business career by doing odd jobs for 
neighboring farmers. Although only seventeen years of age he offered 
his service to his country during the dark days of the Rebellion, 
enlisting August 12, 1862, as drummer in Company F, Twenty-seventh 
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. After six months spent in drilling at 
Milwaukee, he went with his command to Columbus, Kentucky. He was 
present at the entire siege of Vicksburg and entered into it on the day 
of the surrender. His regiment was then sent to Helena, Arkansas, where 
he was taken ill and for six months lingered between life and death, 
finally recovering sufficient to be sent home on a thirty days' 
furlough. After rejoining his command at Little Rock, Arkansas, he 
marched to Shrevesport, Louisiana, and after the defeat of General 
Banks was forced to retreat. At Jenkins Ferry the regiment participated 
in a pitched battle and returned to Little Rock' in a frightful 
condition. The following summer Mr. Elliott had typhoid fever but did 
not leave the regimental hospital, although the doctor offered to 
obtain his discharge for him. The regiment did garrison and guard duty 
in and around Little Rock that fall and winter, and in February, 1865, 
were ordered to New Orleans, Louisiana, whence they proceeded to Fort 
Morgan, Alabama, where they remained until the 17th of March, when they 
went to Spanish Fort. They arrived in time to see the engagement at 
Fort Blakely but too late to participate in it. With a detachment, Mr. 
Elliott was next ordered to Mobile and then up the Tombigbee river 
after some transports of the Confederate army. He then crossed the gulf 
to Brazos Santiago, then up the Rio Grande to Brownsville, Texas, where 
he was honorably discharged August 29, 1865. He returned to Madison 
Wisconsin via New Orleans and the Mississippi River to Cairo, Illinois 
and then by railroad to his destination by way of Chicago.

Mr. Elliott remained with his mother for a time and then located on a 
tract of land which he had purchased in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, 
operating it until coming to Clark county, South Dakota, in the spring 
of 1881. Here he homesteaded the south half of the southwest quarter of 
section 13 Lincoln township; also pre-empted forty acres, and later 
took up a tree claim of twenty-two acres. During the following summer 
and fall he devoted his time to breaking his land and working on the 
railroad, and then returned to his Wisconsin home, being employed in 
the pineries through the winter. In the spring of 1882 he brought his 
family to this state, and for two years they lived in true pioneer 
style in a sod house, after which they moved to a frame house near by 
in order to hold down his pre-emption. The first year he planted oats 
on the ten-acre tract he had broken in 1881, and also broke another ten 
acres, which he devoted to sod corn, but he now has about one hundred 
and seventy acres under the plow, one hundred and fifteen acres being 
devoted to wheat, thirty to oats and twenty to corn. In the terrible 
blizzard of 1888 he lost nineteen head of cattle.

His oldest son, who was with the cattle, narrowly escaped. After trying 
for two hours to drive them in, he finally abandoned the attempt, and 
managing to locate himself by means of a plow which had been left in 
the field, he made his way home with the two horses. Our subject now 
has four cows and about ten horses which he uses in the operation of 
his land. 

On the 25th of June, 1868, Mr. Elliott married Miss Excy M. Stanley, a 
native of Wisconsin, whose parents were from North Carolina and whose 
ancestors participated in the Revolutionary war. Four children bless 
this union: James and Major B., both wheat buyers, and living in North 
Dakota; Daniel D. and Howard, who assist in the operation of the home 
farm. 

Mr. Elliott is a strong Republican in politics and favors high license 
and woman's suffrage. He has always attended the county conventions of 
his party, and has most creditably filled the offices of county 
commissioner in Clark county for six years; chairman of the township 
board for seven years, and assessor two years. Socially he is a member 
of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Union Veteran Union, and teas 
belonged to the Odd Fellows.