This gentleman was born in Montgomery county. New York, January 19,1827, and is a descendant of the old "Yankee" stock, his parents both being natives of the State of Connecticut. In 1829 they removed to the town of Decatur, Otsego county. New York. There young Marcus attended district school until he was nine years old, when he was able to help more or less about home, and after that only attended winters until he was sixteen. He also worked summers for farmers living in the neighborhood. In the summer of 1844 Mr. Elliott's parents moved to Michigan, and the young man, then seventeen years of age, borrowed forty dollars with which to buy his "time" of his father, and worked nearly the whole of the following year to pay the debt. In June, 1846, he followed his father to Michigan, and worked for farmers after arriving there, in the neighborhood of Holly, Oakland County. At the breaking out of the Mexican war he walked in the morning of one day to Pontiac to enlist, but owing to some misunderstanding with Colonel Beach, the recruiting officer, he returned to Holly, walking back the same day, and making nearly fifty miles since he had left home in the morning. The following day he went over into Rose township and hired out to a farmer named Leland, for the sum of twelve dollars per month. He worked that season, and has since been a resident of the township.

Mr. Elliott was married January 1, 1852, to Miss Arvilla A. Seeley, of Rose township, then in her twenty-first year. She was born in the town of Ballston, Saratoga county, New York. Her father, Isaac Seeley, removed from that town in 1837, and settled in Rose township, Oakland County, Michigan, on the northeast quarter of section 4, bmng among the earlier settlers of the township. The necessarily severe labor and many ills subject to the improvement of a new country soon undermined his health, and in the summer of 1844 he was attacked with typhoid fever, which resulted in his death in September of the same year.

In the winter of 1854 Mr. Elliott settled on the farm where he is now residing, the east half of the southeast quarter of section 5, and in his stay upon it of twenty-three years has made it one of the finest farms in Oakland County.

Politically Mr. Elliott is a true and stanch Republican, and at the breaking out of the great civil war in 1861 enlisted as soon as arrangements could be made for leaving home. His enlistment occurred on the 27th day of October, 1861. He joined Captain M. F. Lockwood's battery of light artillery at Monroe, and was appointed sergeant. In March, 1862, the battery was ordered to report at Benton barracks, Missouri, and thither it repaired under command of Captain Samuel DeGolyer, of Hudson, Michigan, From Benton barracks they were ordered to New Madrid, Missouri, there to report to Major-General Pope. They arrived at that place the latter part of March, 1862, and in June one section of the battery was ordered to Memphis, whither it proceeded under command of Lieutenant T. W. Lockwood, and was made a part of the garrison at that city. Sergeant Elliott was with the command and acted as orderly, quartermastersergeant, and general duty sergeant. They remained at Memphis until the following September, when orders were received to report at Columbus, Kentucky, at which place they were joined by the rest of the battery. About this time the rebels were threatening Hickman, Kentucky, and a section was ordered to that place in command of Lieutenant W. H. Weston, Sergeant Elliott accompanying it in the same capacity as at Memphis. In the latter part of the month of November they rejoined the battery at Columbus, and the entire command was soon ordered to report to Major-General Grant, at La Grange, Tennessee, at which place the Army of the Tennessee was organized and General Grant placed in command. The battery was assigned to the Third brigade (Leggett's), Fourth division (Logan's), of the Seventeenth army corps, under General James B. McPherson, with Major C. J. Stolbrand as chief of artillery. They were marched to Holly Springs, Oxford, and Water Valley. While at Holly Springs Sergeant Elliott was promoted to orderly sergeant of the Eighth Michigan Battery, Light Artillery. There was no hard fighting, but "plenty of hard marching through mud and snow." On the return of the army the whole command reported at Memphis, at which place it arrived some time in the month of January, 1863.

About the middle of February the command left Memphis by steamer and landed at Lake Providence, Louisiana, but on account of the overflow of the Mississippi and the cutting of the levees, the army was removed to Berry's landing, about five miles above. Left Berry's landing the last of March, and went to Milliken's Bend, a few miles up the river from Vicksburg, where they disembarked, and marching across the country west of the river, opposite Vicksburg, crossed the Mississippi below, at Bruinsburg, on the 30th of April, 1863. On this expedition Sergeant Elliott was promoted to second lieutenant. After crossing the river, on the night of April 30, they started early in the morning (May 1) for Port Gibson, a small place about twenty miles to the eastward, where the rebels were in force under General Bowen. The fighting on this day was the first the Army of the Tennessee had yet engaged in, as an army. The rebels were defeated, and retreated precipitately towards Jackson, Mississippi. In this engagement the Eighth Battery sustained a loss of several men killed and wounded, and some of their best horses were badly used up on the march. One gun burst, and was left on the field.

May 14, 1863, the rebels made a stand at Raymond, and a portion of the battery narrowly escaped capture, although after sharp fighting the enemy was defeated and driven back. The next day lively fighting occurred near Jackson, but the rebels retreated in haste before the charge of the Union troops. The same evening the victorious army entered Jackson, and the next morning (May 16) started on its return to Vicksburg. A few miles east of Clinton the Confederate troops were again encountered in force, and the battle of Champion Hills was there fought. The battery suffered severe loss in this engagement, some of its best men being killed or wounded, and many of the horses disabled. About four o'clock in the afternoon the rebel line was broken, and the " chivalry" retreated to Black River bridge, where on the following day (May 17) another battle was fought. A heavy charge drove the rebels from their works, and after burning the bridge they retreated to Vicksburg. On the 19th [18th ?] the army began the siege of that place, the Eighth Battery occupying a position on the left of Fort Hill, and nearly in the centre of the besieging army. During the siege, which lasted forty-seven days, or until July 4, Captain . Samuel DeGolyer was dangerously wounded, and afterwards died, while more than half of the men and horses were killed or disabled.

After the death of Captain DeGolyer, the command of the battery was assumed by Lieutenant T. W. Lockwood, but his health being very poor, he resigned in the month of August, 1863, and the command was assumed by Lieutenant Elliott. Early in the month of September Lieutenant Richmond was promoted to captain, and Lieutenant Elliot to first lieutenant. In January, 1864, Captain Richmond resigned, and Lieutenant Elliott was promoted to captain of the battery that he had built up from the ruin that was left after the siege of Vicksburg. The siege and sickness had most thoroughly done their work, and at the close of the terrible Vicksburg campaign hardly a man was fit to do guard duty or care for the horses.

In the month of February, 1864, the battery was with General Sherman on the Meridian campaign, and after returning most of the men re-enlisted as veterans, " for three years or during the war." The army left Vicksburg on the 1st of April, 1864, and proceeded by boat to Cairo, Illinois, from which place Captain Elliott was ordered to Michigan with the re-enlisted men, on a thirty-days' fulough. At the expiration of their leave of absence they repaired to Kingston, Georgia, and rejoined the command early in the month of June. They were engaged under Sherman in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign, Eesaca, Dalton, Kenesaw Mountain, and Marietta, and the battles near Atlanta, which took place on the 20th, 22d, and 28th days of July ; also at the engagement at Jonesboro', south of Atlanta, September 1, 1864. On the evacuation of Atlanta the battery was ordered to report at Chattanooga, at which place it arrived early in November. From thence it was sent by rail to Nashville, arriving there just in season to take part in the fight with the rebel Greneral Hood's army, December 16 and 17/

Up to the Atlanta campaign Captain Elliott had been strong and healthy, but after it his health entirely failed him, and on the 27th day of December, 1864, his term of enlistment having expired, he was mustered out of the service. He reached his home in Michigan on the 5th of January, 1865, ruined in health and broken in constitution, and from the effects of the exposure and hardships to which he was subjected he has never fully recovered. Since the war he has been engaged in farming, and has given considerable attention to breeding merino sheep.

In the fall of 1870 he was nominated on the Republican ticket for representative in the legislature from the first district of Oakland County, and was elected.

Mr. Elliott is a man universally esteemed by those who know him, and they are the best judges who have longest been acquainted with him, of his true worth in the community of which he is a member.