Isaac Payne, or Isaac Paine, (1854–1904) was a Black Seminole who served as a

United States Army Indian Scout Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans have made up an integral part of U.S. military conflicts since America's beginning. Colonists recruited Indian allies during such instances as the Pequot War from 1634–1638, the American Rev ...

and received America's highest military decoration—the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

—for his actions in the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

of the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...

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 ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

er by the Pecos River in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

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 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 1,688 at the 2010 census, down from 1,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kinney County. History Founded in 1852 as "Las Moras" (the name of a nearb ...

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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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

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