Colonel Louis S. Payne

Photo: Courtesy of the Niagara County Historical Society

    Lt. Col. Lewis S. Payne of the Tonawandas served with Company D in one of four regiments in the 100th New York State Eagle Brigade. During the war between the states, his understanding of waterways and surrounding terrain, acquired during his years along the Erie Canal and Niagara River, proved invaluable in his reconnaissance missions for the Union Army.

    Lewis S. Payne came to the Village of Tonawanda in 1836 at the age of 17. He clerked at a local store for four years and then became the proprietor. After he married in 1840, he and his wife moved to the north side of the Erie Canal. Payne built a sawmill along the canal and entered the lumber business. In 1849 and 1850, he was appointed collector of canal tolls in Tonawanda. From 1850 to 1854, he served as clerk of Niagara County. During his term, he purchased a 150-acre homestead northwest of what is now the intersection of Wheatfield Street and Payne Avenue. For several years between 1844 and 1876, he served as supervisor of the town of Wheatfield.

    In 1861, shortly after the beginning of the Civil War, Payne received orders from the U.S. War Department to recruit volunteers for the Union Army. These men were from the Tonawandas and Grand Island. After basic training at Fort Porter in Buffalo, Capt. Payne and his men entered combat at the Battle of Fair Oaks in Virginia. This inconclusive battle may have ended in a Union victory if the northern units had been better informed of the unfamiliar terrain and waterways.

    In February 1863, the 100th Eagle Brigade, along with other Union forces, was assigned to assist in the capture of Fort Sumter in the middle of South Carolina's Charleston Harbor. The objective in taking Fort Sumter was to cripple the harbor and the city of Charleston for the remainder of the war. It was here that the scouting work of Payne began.

Credit: North Tonawanda History Museum

    Before the Union forces could attack Fort Sumter, Fort Wagner on Morris Island had to be under the control of northern army units. But first, both Cole and Folly islands had to be taken along with several batteries. Payne's nightly reconnaissance patrols explored creeks, channels and shorelines of nearby islands behind enemy lines. Payne's superior officers soon learned that his detailed reports and maps were accurate. Troop movements and battle plans were based on Payne's reports.
    In August of 1863, Payne was wounded while on patrol. Along with several of his men, he was captured by Confederate forces. Payne remained a prisoner of war until the end of hostilities. During his confinement, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, a process that had begun before his capture.
    Upon his return home following the war, Payne reentered politics and was elected to several offices: Niagara County clerk in 1865, New York State Assembly in 1889 and the New York State Senate in 1877.
    Lt. Col. Lewis S. Payne died at the age of 79 in 1898 and his grave is in Elmlawn Cemetery. Payne Avenue in North Tonawanda was named in honor of Col. Payne.
   
Credit: Courtesy of Jane Penvose, Historical Society of the Tonawandas