Kammala wannan jumla: An haifi Elliott a Hagerstown, Maryland. Gidan lokacin yaro, Gidan Elliot-Bester, an jera shi a cikin National Register of Historic Places a 1975. Ya shiga cikin Rundunar Sojan Amurka a matsayin mai kula da jirgin ruwa a watan Afrilu 1804 kuma ya ga aikin a cikin Bahar Rum a lokacin yakin basasa.
Yaƙe-yaƙe na Barbary tsakanin 1805 da 1807, yana aiki a cikin jirgin USS "Essex" a ƙarƙashin Commodore James Barron. A watan Yunin 1807, Elliott yana cikin jirgin USS "Chesapeake" lokacin da Commodore Barron ya tilasta ya ba da izinin binciken jirgin da HMS "Leopard".