*On this date, in 1875, three Black Seminoles received the Congressional Medal of Honor. America’s highest military decoration was given to Isaac Payne, John Ward, and Pompey Factor for their actions during the Indian Wars.
All three Black Seminoles were known as Seminole Negro Indian Scouts. Payne served as a trumpeter, Factor was a private, and Ward was a sergeant attached to the 24th Infantry Regiment. On April 25, 1875, they participated in a charge against 25 hostiles while on a scouting patrol by the Pecos River in Texas.
