Medal of Honor Recipient: Adam Paine
Indian Scout • Defender of the Frontier • American Hero
Seminole Negro Indian Scout
Medal of Honor Recipient – May 28, 1875
c. 1843 – January 1, 1877
Born in Florida
Buried in the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery – Brackettville, Texas
A Scout Who Never Backed Down
Adam Paine was born into a world of constant change and challenge. As a Black Seminole from Florida, he witnessed displacement, war, and survival from a young age. By the time he joined the U.S. Army as a Seminole Negro Indian Scout, he had already lived through the migration to Indian Territory and exile into Mexico.
In 1875, near Eagle’s Nest Crossing on the Rio Grande, Paine rode into battle alongside Lieutenant John L. Bullis and fellow scouts Pompey Factor and Isaac Payne. When their small party came under fire from a larger force of Lipan Apaches, it was Paine’s unshakable resolve and quick actions that helped save Bullis and his fellow scouts from death or capture.
For his exceptional bravery under fire, Adam Paine was awarded the Medal of Honor, one of only four given to Black Seminole Indian Scouts.
A Life Cut Short
Though his courage was undeniable, Paine’s life was tragically brief. He was killed in 1877—reportedly by another scout—under circumstances still clouded by questions. But his service lives on as a testament to bravery that went far beyond recognition.
“Not just a soldier. A symbol of unspoken history.”
Sources:
U.S. Army Center of Military History
Freedom on the Border by Kevin Mulroy
National Archives Military Service Files
Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association
Medal of Honor Recipient – May 28, 1875
c. 1843 – January 1, 1877
Born in Florida
Buried in the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery – Brackettville, Texas
A Scout Who Never Backed Down
Adam Paine was born into a world of constant change and challenge. As a Black Seminole from Florida, he witnessed displacement, war, and survival from a young age. By the time he joined the U.S. Army as a Seminole Negro Indian Scout, he had already lived through the migration to Indian Territory and exile into Mexico.
In 1875, near Eagle’s Nest Crossing on the Rio Grande, Paine rode into battle alongside Lieutenant John L. Bullis and fellow scouts Pompey Factor and Isaac Payne. When their small party came under fire from a larger force of Lipan Apaches, it was Paine’s unshakable resolve and quick actions that helped save Bullis and his fellow scouts from death or capture.
For his exceptional bravery under fire, Adam Paine was awarded the Medal of Honor, one of only four given to Black Seminole Indian Scouts.
A Life Cut Short
Though his courage was undeniable, Paine’s life was tragically brief. He was killed in 1877—reportedly by another scout—under circumstances still clouded by questions. But his service lives on as a testament to bravery that went far beyond recognition.
“Not just a soldier. A symbol of unspoken history.”
Sources:
U.S. Army Center of Military History
Freedom on the Border by Kevin Mulroy
National Archives Military Service Files
Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association
Send Flowers
Flowers of Honor Donation
Your donation helps honor the legacy of our Medal of Honor recipients by supporting the placement of fresh flowers and the ongoing care of their final resting places. Every contribution ensures their graves are respectfully maintained and never forgotten.