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

Black Seminole The Black Seminoles, or Afro-Seminoles are Native American-Africans associated with the Seminole people in Florida and Oklahoma. They are mostly blood descendants of the Seminole people, free Africans, and escaped slaves, who allied with Seminol ...

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 Indian Wars of the western United States.

Biography

Payne and other Black Seminoles enlisted in the army October 1871 and became known as one of the

Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts Black Seminole Scouts, also known as the Seminole Negro - Indian Scouts, or Seminole Scouts, were employed by the United States Army between 1870 and 1914. The unit included both Black Seminoles and some native Seminoles. However, because most ...

. On April 25, 1875, he was serving as a trumpeter by the

Pecos River The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) 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 ...

in Texas 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 (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 Indian Wars of the Western United ...

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.

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.

References

External links

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1854 births 1904 deaths United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Black Seminoles 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 people 20th-century Native Americans 19th-century Native Americans {{US-army-bio-stub

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

See also

References

External links