Union brigadier general (1825–1888) who led a division of IV Corps at the Battle of Nashville in 1864. Uncommon ALS signed “W. L. Elliott, Bt. Maj. Genl U. S. A.,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, December 25, 1866. Letter to John A. J. Creswell. In part: "Before leaving for my regiment, lst U. S. Cavalry now serving in the Military Division of the Pacific of which I am Lt. Col. by regular promotion. I take the liberty of asking your personal endeavors with the Secy. of War to procure for me a Colonelcy of one of the new regiments should the Senate refuse to confirm some of the Appointments made from the number selected from the regular Army. My application for promotion was made to the Adj't. Genls. Office and copies of my military recommendations forwarded. I have good reasons for believing too that I was recommended specially by Maj. Genl. Geo. H. Thomas. I think some appointments have been made not in accordance with the law, the officers not having served 'two years in the field during the rebellion,' unless positions in rear of the Army and not on duty with troops are considered field service. If my record could be brought properly to the notice of the Sec'y of War I think I would have been advanced in my present grade at least, instead of having some who served with & under me appointed Lieut. Colo. to date prior to that of my regular promotion. I asked for the detail as superintendent of Mounted Recruiting Service and my application Sept 17, 1866 was favorably considered and endorsed by Genl. Grant, but the Sec'y had given the position to, then Lt. Col. now Colonel [William Nicholson] Grier, brother of Judge [Robert C.] Grier of the Supreme Court. Col. G spent nearly the entire war as a mustering and disbursing officer at Harrisburg, Pa., Columbus, Ohio and Davenport, Iowa, whereas I had never been on the recruiting service and was on duty in the field with troops the whole war, except Twenty days leave of absence prior to the battles of Nashville, returning to my Command in time to participate in those battles." In fine condition, with intersecting folds.
At the start of the war, America’s Regular Army was a force of about 15,000, with the vast majority of the Union Army comprised of volunteers in state militias—as such, any Regular Army officers who had advanced their rank in the Volunteer Army were suddenly reverted to their initial Regular Army rank. This was the case with Elliott, who had risen to the rank of brevet major general during the war but returned to the rank of captain after being mustered out. He would not receive the colonelcy he desired for over a decade, finally attaining the rank in 1878. An interesting letter on the postwar intra-Army political fallout as the volunteer troops were assimilated into a single standing army. RR Auction COA.
