Isaac Payne, or Isaac Paine, (c. 1854–1904) was a

Black Seminole The Black Seminoles, or Afro-Seminoles, are an ethnic group of mixed Native American and African origin associated with the Seminole people in Florida and Oklahoma. They are mostly blood descendants of the Seminole people, free Africans, and e ...

who served as a United States Army Indian Scout and received America's highest military decoration—the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

—for his actions in the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, was a conflict initially fought by European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States of America and Republic of Texas agains ...

of the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

Biography

Payne and other Black Seminoles enlisted in the army October 1871 and became known as one of the Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts. On April 25, 1875, he was serving as a

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

er by the

Pecos River The Pecos River ( ; ) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elev ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

where, " th 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol." A month later, on May 28, 1875, Payne was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the engagement. Two of the other men who took part in the charge,

Pompey Factor Pompey Factor (c. 1849 – March 29, 1928) was a Black Seminole who served as a United States Army Indian Scout and received America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the American Indian Wars, Indian War ...

and John Ward, both Black Seminoles, also received Medals of Honor. Payne was discharged in January 1901, and moved back to Mexico, where he lived until his death at age 49 or 50.Texas State Cemetery Profile
/ref> He was buried at the Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery in

Brackettville, Texas Brackettville is a city in Kinney County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,341 at the 2020 census, down from 1,688 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kinney County. History Founded in 1852 as "Las Moras" (the name of a ne ...

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Trumpeter, Indian Scouts. Place and date: At Pecos River, Tex., April 25, 1875. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Mexico. Date of issue: May 28, 1875. Citation:

With 3 other men, he participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol.

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External links

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1850s births 1904 deaths United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Black Seminole people Native American United States military personnel United States Army soldiers Foreign-born Medal of Honor recipients United States Army Indian Scouts American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor 20th-century African-American military personnel 20th-century Native American people 19th-century Seminole people 19th-century African-American people {{US-army-bio-stub

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

External links