The Coolidge examiner., 1934-11-16

h0ma territory 20 white settlement
But this was not done because the citizens Of
Wellington declined 10 permit the removal They
pointed out that. insofar rs Payne had made
Wellington his home for several years and had
died there. II was perfectly Citing that welling
ton should be his last resting place Moreover.
they suggested that bis grave Is In q beautiful
section of Prairie Lawn cemetery where there
In plenty Of room for a suitable memorial ~
Oklahoma wanted 10 erect one
Evidently that suggestion was not acceptable
since the only marker AZ Payne's grave Is
seven foot monument. giving a brief account Of
bis ufe which was paid for by popular suhscrip
tion and erected few years ago by the yelling
ton q. A. r. post 10 take the place Of the orig
iual stone marker which recorded the fact that
he a captain OF Company Of the Tenth
Kansas Infantry. So Payne continues 20 sleep
In Kansas soil and II La not wholly Inappropriate
tha, he should For. as a citizen OF Kansas. be
Won his frs; fame az the "Cfmarron Scout" long
before be became the Father OF Oklahoma
The state Of Indiana also has a claim upon this
frontier notable. for be was born In the Hoosler
state. As for other details OF his early nfe
there is a dearth OF reliable information. J. W.
Buel included q sketch OF Payne In his Heroes
OF the Plains" and later writer's. evidently de
pending upon Buei for their facts but adding
embroidery OF their own. served to confuse the
record badly.
For Instance. one os them calls him Daniel
Payne and says that bis mother was a cousin
OF Daniel Boone. Fred z sutton OF kansas city
(author OF Hands Upl-. published by Bobbs
Merrill In 1870. who was n follower OF Payne
says bis mother was a hrxi cousin OF Dary
Crockett and that he was born in Falrmout
Ind. on December 30. 1856 Since this was only
a few months after Crockett bad died goriously
at the Alamo In Texas II seems reasonable 10
suppose that bis kinswomAn would name her
new born son David
Payne's boyhOod was spent much Ike that OF
any other younEster OF the pioneer days In I'm.
diana and by the time he had reached Young
manhood be. ike thousands OF others felt the
urge 10 go West" So In 1857 he moved 10
Kansas territory and settled on a farm north OF
Atchson- Kansas was then In the throcs Of
civil var Of It's own between the pro-slavery
men ot Missouri and the Kansas Jayhawkers
and Il Is probable that Payne ike his future
friend. who was destined for fame as Buffalo
Blll.~ had bis nrst fighting experience then.
AT any rate when the Civil war opened he
enlisted In Kansas regiment In the Union army
and served In II until 1868 when he was dis
charged shortly afterwards be was elected To
the Kansas legislature. where he served with
some distinction. and at the close Of his term
he was made postmaster at Fort Leavenworth
In iS67 Indian raids In Kansas became so men.
acing that the War department called upon Gov
ernor Crawford OF Kansas to raise a force OF
volunteer cavalry to cooperate with the regular
army In subdulng the hostiles Payne was com
missloned captain OF one OF these troops which
served with Gen. George A. Custer and the Sew
enth cavalry In Kansas and Oklahoma during
the next two years. Sutton says that Payne was
In the Battle OF the washita on November 81
ISGs. when Custer destroyed the camp OF Chief
Black Kettle OF the Cheyennes and, II he was he
may have had an escape there from death which
overlook him IA years later almost to a day
Il evidently during this period In Paynes
career that he acquired the sobriquet Of the
"Cmarron Scout" although his services In that
role did not seem 10 have been as outstand-
ting Buel and those who followed him would
have Us believe. At least. Custer in bis My Life
on the Plains tnrst published In the old Gal
axy Magazine In IsT2-7s) does not mention Payne
by name. nor Is he listed among the scouts
prominently mentioned In any OF Mrs Clusters
books dealing with her husbands Indian cam
palgna California Joe" wild BIZ" HIckok
Sharp Grover and several others are referred to
frequently by both the general and Mrx Custer
but not Payne. which leads TO the suspicion that
the reputation Of the "Cmarron Scout" was In
dustriously built up By writer's with dime novel
tendencies
for lnslhnce, buel. IN recorulng the rescue or
two white women capuves, AIRS. Morgan and
Miss White. from the Cheyennes. tells dramatic
story Of the subsequent events In it be has Gus
ter fearful for the safety OF his command II the
hostiles should concentrate against him SO the
general holds "a consultation with Captain
Payne. In whose judgment the entire command
placed the greatest reliance and says, "Captaio
we have got TO send word to TT Hays at once
some one must act as courier to notify ous
friends OF our positions and TO carry the COOS
news that the two ladies are In safety with uA-
whereupon Payne agrees to make the trip de-
clines the escort OF so men which Custer offers
him and says: "I1l take Jack Cowan and Char
ley Picard and my purpose Is to set out fror,
here In about fifteen minutes" Then the three
men ride away. mounted on mules and leading
pack mules which carried l 500 rounds OF amm7-
milton" and after a series Of thrilling experiences
including an attack by hostile Kiowas. reached
Fort Hays In one hundred hours. the distance
being 365 miles Before reaching Hays Payne
had to rub tobacco In his eyes to keep from