In 1852, Ellis married Samuel Worthington Dorsey, an older man who was a member of a prominent Maryland family. His father Thomas Beale Dorsey had accumulated large cotton plantations in the Tensas Parish region, which Samuel inherited.
In 1852, Ellis married Samuel Worthington Dorsey, a senior gentleman from a well-known Maryland clan. His father Thomas Beale Dorsey had amassed considerable cotton estates in the Tensas Parish area, which Samuel inherited.