Col Josiah C Reiff

Col. Josiah C. Reiff, Adjutant, 15th Pa. Cav., died March 1 at New York City, at the age of 73. He had a most remarkable career. He was in business when the war broke out, but sacrificed it to enter the 15th Pa. Cav., and became Adjutant of the regiment, serving in that capacity with the greatest courage, skill and fidelity to duty. He was the right-hand man of Col. Wm. J. Palmer, one of the finest cavalrymen produced by the war. After the war he returned to Wall Street, and was a partner of Woerishoffer, one of the greatest banking firms in the city, and which participated in titanic battles with Jay Gould. He was Treasurer of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, and largely instrumental in pushing that highway thru to Denver. Later he retired from the Kansas Pacific and associated himself with his old Colonel, Wm. J. Palmer, in building the Denver & Rio Grande Road and other great improvements in Colorado. The construction of the Denver & Rio Grande Road involved a series of battles not only in Wall Street, but in the work of construction. Col. Palmer and his faithful Adjutant led the forces in this latter contest. Of late years Col. Reiff was most largely interested in copper, and at the time of his death was President of the American Copper Mining Company and of the Alpha Copper Company and a Director in the British Columbia Copper Company. His brother, Wm. C. Reiff, 91st Pa., Carlsbad, N.M., writes that his brother was more distinguished for the purity of his character and the generosity of his heart than he was for his financial abilities. He sacrificed a profitable business to enter the army, and then devoted himself wholly to his work, returning home almost penniless. His brothers all entered the army, and Wm. C. enlisted in the 91st Pa. Nov. 13, 1861, before he was 16 years old. After the war Col. Reiff educated him, and took him into his office until his health failed, when he had to seek other employment. Col. Reiff was always helpful and encouraging to young people, and did a world of good that no one but the recipients were [sic] aware of.