Class of 1853

Elmer Ignatius Otis: Born Feb. 27, 1830, Westfield, MA.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, Jul. 1, 1849, to July 1, 1853, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Bvt. Second Lieut. of Infantry, July 1, 1853.

Served: in garrison at Newport Barracks, Ky., 1853; on frontier duty at Ft. Clark, Tex., 1854, — Camp Blake, Tex., 1854, — Ft. Duncan, Tex., 1854, — Ft. Clark, Tex., 1854‑55, — Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 1855, —

(Second Lieut., 4th Infantry, Feb. 3, 1855)

(Second Lieut., 1st Cavalry, Mar. 3, 1855)

Sioux Expedition, 1855, — Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 1855‑56, — and March to New Mexico, 1856; on Recruiting service, 1856‑57; on frontier duty

(First Lieut., 1st Cavalry, Feb. 28, 1856)

in escorting Kansas Boundary Commissioner, 1857, — Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 1857‑58, — and on Utah Expedition, 1858; as Acting Adjutant of 1st Cavalry at St. Louis, Mo., 1858; and on frontier duty at Ft. Riley, Kan., 1859, — March to Ft. Atkinson, Kan., 1859, — Ft. Riley, Kan., 1859‑60, — Expedition against Kiowa Indians, 1860, — and Ft. Wise, Col., 1860‑61.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: in command

(Captain, 1st Cavalry, May 1, 1861: 4th Cavalry, Aug. 3, 1861)

of six Companies of Cavalry at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., Dec. 25, 1861, to Feb. 11, 1862, — and of Major-General Buell's escort, Feb. 14 to Mar. 3, 1862; on sick leave of absence, Mar. 8 to July 15, 1862; in command of Convalescent Barracks at Louisville, Ky., July 15, and of the Post of Louisville, Ky., Sep. 14 to Oct. 1, 1862; in command of 4th Cavalry (Army of the Ohio), on the Advance into Kentucky, Oct., 1862, being engaged in the Battle of Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862; in command of Regiment, Nov. 7, 1862, to Jan. 7, 1863, and of Brigade, Jan. 7 to Feb. 24, 1863 (Army of the Cumberland), in Major-General Rosecrans' Tennessee Campaign, being engaged in the Battle of Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862, to Jan. 3, 1863; on sick leave of absence, Feb. 24 to Apr. 10, 1863; in command of 4th Cavalry at Murfreesborough, Ten., Apr. 10 to June 24, 1863; on sick leave of absence, June 24 to Sep. 1, 1863; as  p562 Mustering and Disbursing Officer for the State of Ohio, Sep. 1, 1863, to July 4, 1864; and as Special Inspector of Cavalry for the Department

(Major, 1st Cavalry, May 9, 1864)

of West Virginia, July 5‑21, 1864, — for the Army of the Potomac, July 21 to Nov. 14, 1864, — for the Middle Military Division, headquarters

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Col., Oct. 19, 1864, for Industry, Zeal, and Faithful Services)

at Harper's Ferry, Va., Nov. 14, 1864, to May 31, 1865, — at

(Bvt. Colonel, Apr. 15, 1865,
for Faithful and Meritorious Services during the Rebellion)

Washington, D. C., June 1 to Sep. 30, 1865.

Served as Special Inspector of Cavalry for the Military Division of the Mississippi, at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., Oct. 1, 1865, to Aug. 6, 1866, — and for the Military Division of the Missouri, at St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 6, 1866, to May 29, 1867; awaiting orders and en route to regiment, June to Dec., 1867; in command of District of Nevada, Dec. 1, 1867, to June, 1868, — of District of Owyhee, June 20, 1868, to Apr. 19, 1869, — and of the District of the Lakes, June 24, 1869, to Oct., 1871; on frontier duty at Camp Warner, Or., Oct., 1871, to Aug., 1872, — Camp Harney, Or., Aug. 27, 1872, to July 13, 1875, — and Ft. Walla Walla, Wash., July 26, 1875, to Sep. 10, 1876; on leave of absence, Oct. 5, 1876,

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 7th Cavalry, June 15, 1876)

to Feb. 5, 1877; on frontier duty at Ft. Rice, Dak., Feb. 24, 1877, to July 22, 1878, being engaged on the Expedition in Montana, Apr. to July 28, 1877, — and Scouting, July 22 to Aug. 9, 1878; on Court Martial at Ft. Keogh, Mon., to Nov., 1878; in command of the post of Standing Rock, Dak., Dec. 13, 1868, to June 3, 1879, — of Ft. Abraham Lincoln, Dak. (on sick leave of absence, May 21 to Nov. 20, 1881, and on leave of absence, Apr. 29 to Oct. 30, 1882), to June 2, 1882, — of regiment and Ft. Meade, Dak., to Apr. 29, 1883, — of regiment and post of San Antonio,

(Colonel, 8th Cavalry, Apr. 2, 1883)

Tex., June 30, 1883 (sick leave of absence, July 7 to Oct. 9, 1885), to Oct. 18, 1887, — and Ft. Davis, Tex., to May 18, 1888; on sick leave of absence, to Apr. 26, 1889; and in command of regiment and Ft. Meade, Dak., to –––––.