Thomas Payne

PAYNE

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/11/2009 at 14:59:26

Thomas Payne has contributed to an important chapter in the history of American, for he was one of the soldiers of the Civil War who, in response to the president’s call for aid, donned the blue uniform of the nation, and went forth to battle of the Union. He was a most loyal soldier, never shirking any duty, but ever faithfully defending the old flag. Certainly he deserves the recognition and gratitude of his country. In business affairs he ahs been very successful and has become one of the extensive land owners of the county, owning eleven hundred acres.
Mr Payne was born in Clay county, Indiana, on November 5, 1834, and is a son of Benjamin C and Maria (Bryant) Payne, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Maryland. The Payne family was founded in the Old Dominion at an early epoch in its history. The father of our subject was a soldier in the war of 1812 and throughout life carried on farming. He resided for many years in Maryland and Indiana, taking up his abode I the latter state about 1830. There he made his home until November 5, 1854, when he arrived in Boone county, Iowa, where he spent his remaining days. He reached an extreme old age, being eighty-nine years and eight months at the time of his demise. His wife died many years before, passing way in 1842. They were parents of six children, of whom three are now living. The names of all are William B, Maria, James R, Mary, Thomas, and Carnelia.
Thomas Payne was born and reared in Indiana and acquire his education in the schools of Clay county, but his opportunities in that direction were somewhat limited. He began the mastery of the branches of English learning in a little log school house seated with slab seats, the boards resting upon wooden pegs. There was a stick chimney through which the smoke made its egress from the immense fireplace. Mr Payne’s training at farm work, however, was not limited for very early in life he began work in the fields and assisted his father in the labors of the home farm until a short time prior to his majority, when he came to Boone county, He purchased 80 acres of prairie land and 40 acres of timber land, investing capital which he had earned through various lines of labor. As his financial resources increased he here made other investments until he owned 300 acres of land in connection with his brother. He then sold his interest but immediately afterward purchased other land. Later he removed to his present place of residence. Here he has a valuable farm of 200 acres and another farm in the county which he owns comprises 481 acres, in fact he has become one of the extensive landholders of this portion of the state. His realty possessions comprise ten hundred and thirty-five acres of land. He has always carried on general farming and has traded quiet extensively in stock., purchasing as much as any other man in this section. He makes a specialty of handling short horn and Hereford cattle and his excellent judgment concerning stock and his business ability have been most important elements in winning him success.
Mr Payne has been three times married. At the age of thirty-three years he wedded Marian Morris, who died leaving no children. He afterward wedded Laura Bell Parker and they had three children- Ella Cora Lee, Nettie Bell and Thomas Edward. Mr Payne’s present wife bore the maiden name of Laura Lee Quinlan and was born in Putnam county, Indiana. She is a daughter of William Quinlan of Harford, Maryland, who followed farming throughout life and died in 1879. He married Sereldah Sinclair, a daughter of Rev J P Sinclair, a pioneer minister of Putnam county, Indiana, Her death occurred in 1899. Mrs Payne is one of a family of six children, the others being John H, deceased, America A, deceased, Susanna Q, Sarah J and James S.
At the time of the Civil War Mr Payne watched with interests in the progress of events in the south and aroused by a spirit of patriotism he enlisted in August 1862, as a member of Company D, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, remaining in disservice until honorably discharged after the close of the war in August 1865. His was a most creditable military record and his course ever commended him to the respect of his officers and the friendship of his comrades. He participated in the battles of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Little rock, Arkansas, and the Red River campaign. He was also in the engagement of Bermuda Hundred and in all of the battles and skirmishes in which his regiment took part in Arkansas. Later the command came down the White rive to Mississippi, thence proceeded to Memphis and afterward returned to Vicksburg, where in 1864 it was consolidated. In April of that year Mr Payne was transferred to the Sixteenth army Corps Division train and the command proceeded to Cairo. He indeed saw some very active service and was never off duty except for ten days, although he was ill at different times. In July 1864, he participated in the Tupelo raid, marching about one hundred and fifty miles from Memphis. He was also in Missouri and Kansas chasing Price and suppressing the guerrillas there. During this time the regiment made over thirty miles a day for about thirty days, pursuing Price for over nine hundred miles. Subsequently the command went to Nashville, from there to Eastport and then down to Cairo, and on February 10, 1865, they landed at New Orleans. The last charge of the rebellion was made at Fort Blakely by this regiment,. Whether on the picket line or in the thickest of the fight, whether making long forced marches or resting in winter quarters. Mr Payne was ever found loyal to the stars and stripes and shirked no duty which would promote the Union cause.
Mr Payne has never aspired to office but votes with the Republican party, which stood as the defender of the Union in her hour of peril. His religious faith is rather that of the Methodist Episcopal church, although he is not a member of any organization. He has witnessed the growth of the county, having located here in pioneer days, when goods were hauled by teams from Keokuk and when wild game abounded, some of it furnishing meals of the frontier settlers. In the work of improvement and progress. Mr Payne has ever borne his share. He has led a very busy and useful life and all that he has he has made himself. Well may he be termed a self made man for he deserves all the credit and praise which that work implies. In business he is reliable, straightforward and energetic and in citizenship he is as true today to his country as when he followed the starry banner over southern battlefields and fought to prevent the division of the Union.

1902 Boone County History Book