Washington Lafayette Elliott was born at Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, the son of Jesse Duncan and Frances C. (Vaughn) Elliott.
His grandfather fought in the Revolution and his father won distinction in the navy in the War of 1812.
Elliott accompanied his father on a cruise to the West Indies (1831 - 32), and on a second cruise (1835) to France on board the frigate Constitution, After his return to the United States he entered the preparatory school of Dickinson College, and subsequently the college, leaving the sophomore class to enter the United States Military Academy, July 1, 1841.
He resigned from the academy in 1844, and began the study of medicine, but owing to the death of his father, was unable to continue his medical education, and he entered the army as a second lieutenant in the regiment of Mounted Riflemen, May 1846.
In December of 1846 he was ordered to Mexico with his regiment and took part in the siege of Vera Cruz.
During the operations he was taken ill, and shortly after the surrender of the city was returned to the United States and assigned to recruiting duty.
He was promoted first lieutenant in 1847, captain in 1854, and served on frontier duty in Dakota, Texas, and New Mexico until the beginning of the Civil War.
At the call of the president for volunteers in 1861 he was ordered to Elmira, New York, as mustering officer, after which he was assigned to duty in the West and was engaged in the actions at Springfield and Wilson’s Creek, Missouri.
He was commissioned colonel, 2nd Iowa Cavalry, in September 1861, and promoted major in the regular army in November of the same year.
He was assigned to General Pope’s command, Army of the Tennessee, and participated in the operations at New Madrid, Island No. 10 on the Mississippi, and in the siege of Corinth, where he commanded a cavalry brigade.
He executed the raid on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad for which he received the brevet of colonel, United States Army.
He was wounded in the second battle of Bull Run.
From November to February 1863 he was in command of the Department of the Northwest, and from February to October commanded the 3rd Division, III Corps, Army of the Potomac.
He was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland where he
his constituents to vote for nullification.
This rather definitely put an end to his official public career, but he continued by means of open letters and pamphlets to express himself from time to time on questions of general moment.
In June 1851 he published in a newspaper a series of letters which were in 1852 collected into a pamphlet called The Letters of Agricola.
Agricola was in the main an orthodox Southerner— about slavery and about Northern meddling he was quite clear.
In 1846 he published in book form, under his own name, some sketches which had already appeared serially in a Charleston newspaper under the names Piscator and Venator.
It defends in passing even dancing and the theatre, and with autobiographical verve praises as almost beyond comparison, the delights of fishing and gaming.
Altogether, Poeta was a role to which this patrician was as much entitled as he was to those of Agricola, Piscator, and Venator; for upon occasion, when mood demanded, he knew how to turn out his verses, and even, in 1850, it is said, published in Charleston a complete tragical drama, Fiesco.
Slavery, he declared, was “sanctioned by religion, conducive to good morals, and useful, nay indispensable”; Northern interference was wicked, unprovoked, and fanatical” (Ibid. , p. 7) I but for all his orthodoxy he believed it essential that the South introduce manufactures and steer as far away as possible from the folly of secession.
Scorning policy, ” he stood by his convictions, and capped his immolation by administering a formal if somewhat patronizing rebuke to all who disagreed with him (Address to the People of St. Plelena Parish, 1832).
Quotations: Slavery, he declared, was “sanctioned by religion, conducive to good morals, and useful, nay indispensable”; Northern interference was wicked, unprovoked, and fanatical” (Ibid. , p. 7)
General Rosecrans in asking for the assignment of a cavalry general to his command said : “General Elliott would add 2, 000 to our cavalry force. I once more beg he will be sent to me. Honor to him and benefit to the service will result” (Official Records (Army), 1 ser. , XXIII, pt.
II, p. 288).
