Ivan Tailof – Major, United States Army

ALL CREEDS AND COLORS
Major Tailof Made Point of This In Charity Bequests

NEW YORK, May 18, 1913 – The will of Major Ivan Tailof, who when 18 years old fled from Riga, Russia, and joined the Army of the Union in the Civil War, was filed for probate yesterday in the Surrogates’ Court.

After making bequests of $3,000 each to two friends and $500 to each of four friends, he left the rest of his estate to charitable institutions, “without regard to creed or color.”  The institutions which are to share equally in the residue ate Children’s Aid Society, St. John’s Guild, United Hebrew Charities, Montefiore Home, Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Tuskegee Institute.  An Army man who lived with Major Tailof at the Army and Navy Club and was yesterday conversant with his affairs said yesterday that these bequests would probably total $50,000.

All of his military commission, emblems and uniforms he bequeathed to the New York Commandery of the Loyal Legion of the United States, with the provision that all his other personal effects which could not thus be disposed of should b distributed among the “worthy poor of New York City.”  According to his own statement in the will and the affidavits of his executors, no legal heirs or relatives of any kind had been discovered.

Attached to the decrees for the probate of the will were affidavits of the executors explaining the absence of discoverable heirs.  According to these, Major Tailof had often told his friends that he fled from Riga, Russia, to escape impressment in the Army and that an elderly uncle who helped him across the frontier was the only relative he had of any remembrance of.  After serving in the Civil War and advancing from Private to Major, he went into business in New York City, becoming a silk commission merchant.  He was 79 years old when he died.

TAILOF, IVAN
MAJ 2ND U S VET VOLS

• DATE OF DEATH: 04/01/1913
• BURIED AT: SECTION SO DI  SITE 1552
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard