The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-19
ONE SEMINOLE WAR SURVIVOR
Aged Negress in Texas Who saw the
Struggle in the Everglades.

Oklahoma City, 0. T. Nov. lS.-The
death Of any aged Indian takes from In
dian history some of its romantic details.
and puts them beyond recovery. for they
are not written down. nor printed IN
this connection. it viii be interesting to
know that there has been discovered re-
Gently at Fort Clark, in western Texas, a
woman. known as Aunt Betsy PAYNE.
who lives with a small detached remnant
Of the Seminoles in that vicinity Aunt
Betsy Payne believes she is over 10o
years old. Her extraordinary memory ot
important historical events that she SAYS
she has witnessed and is able TO describe
with singular accuracy makes strong tes-
timony in support Of opinion as TO her
age. She stoutly maintains that she has
Seminole blood in her veins. though her
color and features indicate that she IS
certainly a full-blooded African. She
evidently has lived with the SeminoIes all
her life. and she is regarded highly by
the Indians. because she IS the widow OF
Chief Payne. a famous warrior.
White people and especially the officers
al the fort. treat old Aunt Betsy with
much more than ordinary consideration.
because she is The mother Of a race Of
soldiers. She had seven sons in the
Union army. snd Of her descendants
twenty-three are now serving with the
United States regulars. She possessed a
picture cut from a S.. Louis paper show
ing a group Of fourteen Of her boys" as
she calls them wearing Uncle Sans uni
form and en- route 20 Cuba.
Aunt Betsy has lived about the frontier
forts for more than half a century, and
owing to her motheriy attributes and her
skill in cooking she Is favorahiy known 70
|. a great number OF army officers. many 81
/ whom have given to her little testimo1-
ials of their regard She has silver
dollar given 10 her by General Phil Sheri-
dan. and a handkerchief that was pre-
scented TO her by General 2. f Lee. On
The walls Of her cabin there are many
pictures Of army officers whose names
arr familiar tn every schoolboy.
Aunt Betsy SIS that she was grown
girl when the trouble occurred between
the United States and Spain ever the IL
vasion Of Flori5a by General Jackson
If she was not alive AZ that time she =
certainly wei informed as To the history
Of that particular period
in 1Sg1. and by The terms % the treaty
mad. between tlse Two great powers 3
runaway slaves were - b. returned 70
their masters upon proof q ownership
Aunt Betsy SAYS mat one exception vas
made 20 this clause in favor q JEe negro
wives Of Seminole warriors She DIS
-ircrlv remembers that Ch.et Payne told
her ali about this matter and asked her
il she would no, Ike 70 BE- lis ss1aw.
warning her az the same tine hist the
white soldiers might make Tying Papers
and take her away unless she consented
n the arrangement that he had sug-
gestei.
She SAYS that there vas constant trou-
bic between the Indians ard white se.-
tlgrs from that time ua.H ne treaty -
Payne's Landing. made May 6 Is72 Waite
nsa continued 20 sac-oach upon thz
lands Of the Sem5aoles, and 0a5 ue1 com
ultted crimes and charged such oEtraEes
against TIE indians. Negroes were daily