Marva,

The Taliaferro family owned a number of plantations in Virginia and many of the Taliaferro men were military officers. One of them, Major Lawrence Taliaferro, was born on Whitehall Plantation, King George County, Virginia. He might be your Major. A slave he owned named Harriett was the wife of Dred Scott. Major Lawrence Taliaferro gave Harriett to the owner of Dred Scott so the two could be together as husband and wife.

Ed Adams