Remembering Them Forever (RTF)!

Military Information:

• US Army
• Medal of Honor
• Deceased
• QR Code
• TVHOF Valor Award
• TVHOF Patriot Award
• PVT: Private
• Indian Campaigns
• Cemetery: Seminole Indian Scouts, Brackettville, Kinney County, Texas
• 1-Alpha List
• US Indian Scouts
• TVHOF Class 2022

Dates of Service 1:

Service Start Date: NA Service End Date: NA

Dates of Service 2:

Service Start Date: NA Service End Date: NA

Bio:

Enlisted in Fort Duncan, Texas.

Adam Payne was a Seminole Negro Indian Scout who was born in Florida. He had black eyes, black hair, and a black complexion. He stood 5’7”. He was 30 when he first enlisted.

He completed 2 enlistments, serving from November 12, 1873 to February 19, 1875. He served under Lt. Bullis and Lt. Parker. He was stationed at Ft. Duncan, Ft. Clark, and Cp Palafox.

In 1874, he fought in the Red River War. He was known by Scout Henry Strong as “Bad Man” as a fierce fighter and he wore a headdress of buffalo horns.

He received the Medal of Honor for action on August 20, 1874 when attacked by superior force of Indians and was cited by Col. Mackenzie as “the most daring of any scout I have ever known.” It was a year later before he received his Medal of Honor.

On January 1, 1877 at a New Year’s Eve fandango at the Seminole Village in Fort Clark, Adam Payne was shot point blank by a deputy sheriff (Clarion Windus) who had a warrant for his arrest due to the stabbing of a soldier in Brownsville.

Mackenzie’s original letter of January 7, 1875 recommended Adam Payne for habitual courage. His follow-up letter of August 31, 1875 again mentioned “Seminole Negro Adam ‘Paine’ for gallantry on September 20, 1874 when attacked by a largely superior party of Indians. This man is a scout of great courage.” Naturally, the Medal of Honor was awarded to Adam “Paine” and had caused confusion ever since. (Refer—The Incident on Las Moras Creek, Congressional Medal of Honor Journal).

Indian Wars Medal of Honor Recipient. Born to a black Seminole family in Alachua, Florida, he served as a Indian Scout Private in the 4th US Cavalry. At Canyon Blanco, near the Red River, Texas, September 26, 1874, Private Paine with four other scouts was sent out to search for hostile Indians. When the group was attacked by 40 Kiowas the scouts fled, fighting as they went. Private Paine held back to protect the others, allowing them to get away as he fired at their pursuers. When his horse was shot out from under him he used it as a shield, he managing to kill one of the attackers and capture the dead man's horse to escape. For courage in the face of the enemy, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 13, 1875.

He died on January 1, 1877 and was buried at the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery.

https://txmedalofhonor.com/#/recipient/7d3efe40-e1f4-14ca-68f6-636c5d48e04a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Paine

https://cemetery.tspb.texas.gov/pub/user_form.asp?step=1&pers_id=11271