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Major <em>Charles Pinckney Elliott</em> was drowned while on a fishing trip near Beaufort, South Carolina—his native town—on Tuesday, May 17, 1943. His father was Brigadier General Stephen Elliott, C.S.A., his mother Charlotte Stuart Elliott. Both paternal and maternal ancestors were among the early colonists, settling in South Carolina in the Seventeenth Century.</p>
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Born March 15, 1860, and receiving his early education in Beaufort, Elliott was appointed to West Point in 1878. Upon graduating he was assigned to the Thirteenth Infantry and in June 1883 was transferred to the Fourth Cavalry, engaged in a campaign against the Apache Indians in New Mexico, Arizona, and Old Mexico.</p>
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In 1884 he reported to Captain Emmet Crawford for duty as provost marshal of San Carlos Indian Reservation. A colorful episode in his career was his capture by a band of Mexican soldiers while trailing the famous Indian Chief Geronimo with a number of Indian scouts, of whom he was in command. Marched on foot to the nearest Mexican village he was put in jail under orders that he be put to death. The timely arrival of a detachment of soldiers of the Fourth Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Britton Davis, averted such a catastrophe—two of his scouts (who had refused to surrender to the Mexicans and who had made their escape) having hastened back to notify the U.S. soldiers of the predicament of their companions.</p>
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For his part in the affair he was highly complimented by Captain Crawford.</p>
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On December 20, 1886, he married Hortense Darling Beaumont, daughter of Colonel Eugene B. Beaumont—also of the Fourth Cavalry and who was graduated from West Point with the first class of 1861—at Fort Bowie, Arizona. In the following eight years he served in as many posts on the frontier and in the East, finally reporting to Vancouver Barracks in 1893.</p>
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During the Vancouver period he was in charge of a rescue expedition which found young Carlin, son of General Carlin, who was lost with several friends in the Bitter Root Mountains on a hunting trip.</p>
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Describing this episode in later years to a son-in-law Major Elliott said: “In order to get the men out it was necessary to fell trees and make boats out of green lumber. For four days we had to drag the boats up-stream, sometimes wading neck deep in the icy water.”</p>
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The following excerpt is from a letter written by General John M. Schofield, relating to the incident:</p>
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Headquarters of the Army.<br />
Washington, D. C.,<br />
December 1, 1893.</p>
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“My dear Carlin:</p>
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“... I hardly know why, but I had from the first very great confidence that the rescue would be effected. Brave young Army officers like Elliott seldom fail to accomplish what they undertake. It also seemed to me in view of Elliott’s former ill health almost like a great streak of good fortune that he had such an opportunity as this to show what he is capable of doing. I sincerely hope that he will not have suffered any injury from his experience.”</p>
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During the following summer he was engaged in exploration and survey of the Bitter Root Mountains for the War Department, and in the summer and autumn of 1896 made similar exploration and survey of Mount St. Helens, Washington.</p>
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He was complimented in person by Captain Crawford for conduct under fire in an engagement near San Buinaventura, Chihuahua, Mexico, on August 23, 1885, and received honorable mention by Brigadier General George Crook in a report of the Apache campaign of 1885-86, and in orders of the War Department covering the same campaign.</p>
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Following service in the Philippines during the Spanish American War he was sent by the Government to Alaska with General Glenn to make a survey of the salmon industry. In July 1898 he was retired because of disability in line of duty, with rank of captain.</p>
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At the outbreak of the First World War he was recalled to service, serving under General Shanks, who was in command of the Port of Embarkation at Hoboken, N.J. Major Elliott was one of the assistants of the Utilities Officer and was in charge of sanitation on the docks.</p>
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In a written statement General Shanks said: “Major Elliott rendered services of great value to the government. His excellent judgment, unfailing energy, and natural ability to obtain results made him an extremely valuable officer. He was tireless in the performance of duty, and counted neither hours nor personal convenience in the performance of his exacting duties.”</p>
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Although he jokingly referred to his reputation as a martinet—among the younger Army men—because of his rigid rules against smoking on the docks, it was no laughing matter to him when overly enthusiastic volunteer war workers thrust cigarettes into the mouths of soldiers and lighted them, in spite of conspicuously posted “NO SMOKING” signs. It may have had no significance other than coincidence, but just about a week after he was relieved of his duties in that capacity there was a disastrous fire on the docks with a resulting loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars.</p>
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At the close of the War he was sent to New Mexico and Arizona to undertake an investigation of the Indian reservations in those states.</p>
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His last years were spent in and near his beloved Beaufort, where his chief pleasure was derived from cruising about the waterways that he knew so well. Although retired from active Army affairs his life still had its exciting moments, such as the occasion when he—on a peaceful fishing expedition—was mistaken for a rum-runner and fired upon by a machine gun from a Coast Guard boat. Upon another fishing occasion he was stranded for two days and had the entire county forces hunting for him. Again, while camping alone on Bay Point he was struck by a diamond-back rattler and, after giving himself first aid, was forced to row across the bay five miles and managed to reach the Naval Hospital on Parris Island, where he was given treatment and remained tor about two weeks.</p>
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On Monday afternoon, May 24, 1943, funeral services were held in St. Helena’s Protestant Episcopal Church, Beaufort, where his people had worshipped for generations.</p>
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Besides his widow he is survived by four sons and four daughters: Margaret Rutter Elliott; Colonel Stephen Elliott, who served overseas during World War I with the 109th Pennsylvania Field Artillery; Charles P. Elliott, Jr., engaged in defense work; Mrs. William L. Lance—all of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Mrs. Frederick H. Linthicum, Los Angeles, Cal.; Mrs. Reyburn Watres, Scranton, Pa.; Major Nathaniel R. Elliott, 20th Battalion, 5th Training Regiment; and Colonel John C. B. Elliott, Corps of Engineers, 6th Army, who was graduated from West Point in the Class of 1926.</p>
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