A True Pioneer;My GGF, Madison Payne

By Ernie Payne

This is an account of my great Grand Madison Payne’s life. He encounters a freak accident that left him without memory. However, he would not disclose the how of the accident, even to his parents. That part of the story is patchwork by the author. A doctor solicits a surgeon and gets him on the way to recovery. What follows is a trip from Norfolk, Virginia to Payne Know, West Virginia. In between, many fascinating events occur, including talking to mules, involvement in the Civil War. He meets many people, some good and evil; some outstanding and some horrible. He meets his first wife and learns the trade of blacksmithing. He skirmishes with an army soldier that has kidnapped an Indian woman. Madison intervenes in a rape, and he kills the soldier. The woman becomes his third wife. A wounded bear is rescued, but the bear is responsible for the death of pack peddlers in the end. Some of the reputations of his life were a bit outlandish. One such account of a black bear as a pet is made factual, and the death of traveling salesmen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ernie Payne
• Release date: Mar 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005388195

Ernie Payne

Mr. Payne is a retired computer engineer, a retired cattle rancher, and a ten year veteran. He recently decided to visit hos home town via writing stories of the coal town era. There are five in this series. Hew lives with his wife of 57 years and a three-year-old and a two-year-old. His current work is a trip into white coal. most know of black and brown coal. Mr. Payne is an expert in the white coal arena. The title is 'The Last Bugly' that was a coal miner and a son of a coal miner. If my books do not sell, I will be a , former writer.

Book preview

A True Pioneer

My GGF,Madison Payne

Written By

Ernest F Payne Jr.

Copyright 2018 Ernest F. Payne Jr.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events in this novel are either product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. The basis of the story is his great grandfather.

The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

(Isa 40:28-31 ESV)

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

End

The basis of this story is family lore.

Prologue

1860

Madison is on a hunt, and his only thoughts were his father’s words. Braddock Payne said, We are going to be here only a short time, but you shouldn’t waste it. Go find employment in your new profession. I have taught you all I know, so put it to good use. As he walked, a gust of wind blew his new hat off. His father had just given it to him as a gift on his birthday. He was going to find work. The wind surprised him, but he charged after the flying hat. Then he saw the flash of light, and its brilliance blinded him. Unable to see, he tried to feel something. His hands and arms would not move. Then he thought he was falling and falling, spinning without control. He remembered the preacher said, Without Jesus, one would be thrown into a bottomless pit. He thought, "I am in that pit and falling."

TOC

Chapter One

The old surgeon burst in angrily, asking, What it so blasted urgent that you call me to your home?

The Young doctor answered, Here on the table.

The surgeon moved to be adjacent to the dining room table. What happened to this lad? The doctor stood looking at a young boy who had his scalp removed from the forehead in a strip but still attached to his head near the crown's top.

Some folks brought him here within the hour. He stumbled while chasing a windblown hat. His hair tangled into a passing wagon, and this is the result.

My goodness, he appears to have been kicked by a horse, replied the doctor, This lad has no chance of surviving such a blow. Just let him die in peace.

No, I can’t leave him; I must try to save him. I would like you to stitch the skin back to the head.

With antagonism, the Surgeon replied, Sorry, I am not wasting my skills on a useless case; the boy is dead; his body doesn’t know it yet. The surgeon turned and walked out of the room.

Alone, the doctor started his procedure by carefully examining the wound. As soon as the doctor bent over the boy, the surgeon returned. Okay, I’ll do the procedure, but I am not going to his funeral. If he survives, I am going to tell him he was kicked by a horse.

Good, and thank you. Wash up while I cleanse the wound.

Wash up; I never wash up.

You will this time; the wound must be clean, or you will be correct in that he will not survive.

How will you cleanse the wound? With water, there may be contamination within it and some unknown substance?

True, the doctor replied. I am going to use a comparatively new substance called hydrogen peroxide. It acts as a disinfectant. Get washed.

As the surgeon worked, he said, I suppose you have noticed the depression fractures?

Yes, but each one is slight, and the epidermal surface isn’t broken. I don’t know how it will affect the boy until he is alert. Fortunately, the wound is behind the hairline.

The new growth will cover the scar, which is if he is ever alert again. Why do you continue to hold that view, doctor? The surgeon replied gravely.

He may surprise us both, and besides, he has only been partially scalped.

The surgeon asked, What do you plan on doing with him while he is unconscious; pass him off to the hospital?

I thought since your family is grown, you might take in a younger person, the doctor quickly responded, laughing.

Not a chance; my house is quiet, and I can run around with little clothing on, firmly responded.

We don’t have any children yet, so we plan on keeping him with us.

How do you plan on feeding him; he needs water and often.

I will use a flexible tube and get it below his windpipe; soup and water will flow in unobstructed.

Oh my, I will have to see that in action.

…

The surgeon stood, stretching his back, There, finished. I made the stitches close together to reduce the scaring effect.

As he rolled the blanket exposing a naked boy, the doctor said, Give me and judgment of this lad in hopes of finding a clue who he might be.

Starting at the legs, the surgeon said, Stout, thick thighs, advanced puberty, no fat and broad shoulders; a man not afraid of work. Too bad he won’t do any of that again.

The doctor surgeon object to the comment but said, Did you notice his hands?

Turning them in his hand, he said, My, such calluses. He is a skilled tradesman. Maybe he is a blacksmith or just a farmer’s son; we will never know.

The doctor, Thank you for that and the great skill you have exhibited, and I will keep you posted on his progress.

~~~~~~

The doctor said to his wife, We have to feed him, or he will die. This implement is a funnel, and that is how we will do it. I will show you how, and when I am away, you can do the task.

The boy lay on pillows that held him partially erect, and his head bent backward.

I’ll try, dear; just give me time to learn before you leave me alone.

See how it has a slight bend to the neck; that is to conform to the throat. We prop the boy on pillows, and you see with his head back, it is nearly straight down the throat. The string is to aid in guiding the tip past the air intake of the throat.

The doctor placed the tube down the boy’s throat, carefully guiding the tip. In place, he slowly allowed water to flow down the tube. He only used part of the contents at first. Then he rested, giving the boy’s body a chance to acclimate to the water. After a bit, he repeated the process and then allowed his wife to do a turn. Later, he substituted chicken and beef broth along with the water.

~~~~~~~

Some weeks later, the doctor arrived home. How was your day dear, he inquired.

I had some excitement that is hard to believe it occurred, but it did.

Well, don’t keep me in suspense.

I was feeding the boy, and when I removed the funnel, he choked. I was petrified and froze, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, the boy sat upright and coughed, clearing his throat. Then he looked around the room, slowly rotating his head. Then he looked directly into my eyes, staring at me. Then, he lay back on the pillows and closed his eyes. I was shocked.

I would have been too. He leaned over the boy, looking directly into his eyes. You are awake in there; I know you are. Prove me right and speak to us. There was a noticeable reaction, but he did not speak. I want us to start reading to him, out loud, of course. We can start reading the Psalms and move into the New Testament. I think it will profit him. He can hear; he just doesn’t want to come into this world. I suspect, and it has painful memories he doesn’t want to face.

TOC

Chapter Two

Madison

Two months later, the doctor’s wife entered the room. The patient was sitting upright on the bed with his legs folded.

She said, Coming around now, are ye?

He had questions, but no words would form on his lips.

Here’s some water, she offered a glass with a straw. She let him sip and wait for his becoming accustomed to his surroundings. You might want to know where you are, You are at my home. Not mine only yet, my husband’s as well. He is your doctor.

"Why do I need a doctor?" he silently questions.

Reading his thoughts, she said, You were injured, severely, I might add. Do you remember any of it?

He did not answer but slowly and sort of nodded no.

She continued, What do you remember, your name or anything?

Nothing, he answered. How was I injured?

I will let the doctor explain that to you. Mind your bandaged head and not disturb it. In the meantime, I am going to make you some beef broth. You need some nourishment and have lost considerable weight.

~~~~~~

A man entered later in the day. To the boy, he did not resemble a doctor, no white clothing. He approached the bed and began feeling the boy’s head, finally saying, You are fully awake now; that is good news. Tell me how you feel, is your vision clear?

Tired, and I can see, he answered.

Do you remember anything concerning your accident? There was no reaction or reply.

What about a horse, your name, or anything?

There was no response or altered expression. The doctor examined the boy top-to-bottom and came to his eyes. The doctor stared into them; the boy stared back. The doctor squinted with his left eye, and the boy did the same. The doctor repeated with his right eye; the boy did the same. The doctor squinched with both eyes; the boy mimicked. Well, your cognitive senses seem intact, chuckling. The doctor turned solemn and looked at the boy with concern. It unsettled the youngster. This is a serious discussion, and before I begin to explain what your injuries, I need you to understand, we did the best we could. The doctor turned a chair and straddled it. You were kicked by a horse. He paused to let that information sink in. With a poker-faced, there was no response from the boy. A little bit, either way, would have meant no damage or certain death. Some men brought you here to my home. You were unconscious and scalped. I mean, a large part of your scalp is missing. Then there is the issue of a depressed skull in the wounded area. Your injuries presented a medical skill I don’t have, but I recovered and started working on you. Quickly, I was confident you would survive, but that piece of your scalp hung still attached to your head. I cleaned your wound, and a surgeon sewed the scalp back in place; it is a hack job, and I am sorry. I wanted you to know what has happened. Fortunately, the wound inside the hairline and your new hair growth will cover the scar.

The boy offered no response. The doctor said, I will remove your dressings, and he began unwinding the gauze. You will see a drastic change to your appearance; I’m just preparing you.

The boy’s head was bald, beginning just before the hairline, a redline spread in a trapezoid shape and then became two straight lines that ended near the top. The coarse stitching was grossly apparent, creating a hideous sight. The doctor explained, It was difficult getting the skin to stretch completely in every direction; I wish we could have done better. I have a mirror. Do you want to see?

~~~~~~

The doctor’s wife asked, What happened then?

I held the mirror for him; his response was predictable, I thought.

How did he react?

He was stone cold with no emotion. He said the strangest thing, ‘I was falling, but now I’m not. He seemed unconcerned about his appearance.’

Oh my, what then?

He drank more water and looked into the mirror again, saying, ‘I was falling into the bottomless pit.’

What does that mean?

I don’t know, but he has a dimly depressed skull fracture. He may have brain damage, and I can’t do anything about it.

Oh my goodness.

~~~~~~~

The following day, the doctor’s wife came into his room with new clothing. They were for the boy and in a carpetbag. Together the two walked down the hallways out into the outside. They waited until a carriage arrived. It was the doctor, and they all rode away. The boy sat in the seat facing backward, facing the husband and wife. They watched him, but he paid no notice. He was in deep thought. He observed from the sun they were riding northwestward. After a while, the carriage turned east, and the boy noted it. Where are we going? he asked.

To our home; remember we told you we intended to do that.

The boy did not respond but went back to thinking. What are you thinking of, the wife asked.

He looked at her eyes and smile. Hesitating, he said, I was wondering if I had ever been here before.

Have you; do you see anything you recognize, the doctor asked.

Before he could answer, the wife asked, What else were you thinking? You were thinking of something else.

The boy searched her face; she knew, but how. Well… maybe.

Tell us, she said kindly.

He looked away out to the countryside, tears formed in his eyes. He looked back at the occupants; they were slightly blurred. How will people accept me with this…? Then the tears flowed. She slipped into the seat beside him, holding him close. There was nothing to say. He noted the carriage had turned southeast. She said, We are going to Gloucester, home sweet home.

…

She said, We are nearly there, thank God. You, gentlemen, take care of the luggage, and I will prepare us some dinner.

He replied, Good idea, dear.

Is there anything, in particular, you would care to eat, a favorite perhaps?

No, I can’t think of a thing.

Maybe a favorite dessert?

It is disconcerting not being able to remember such trivial notions.

"Disconcerting is a big word for such a young fellow. It is apparent that you have suffered severe trauma, and your emotional brain has stopped remembering, so you will not have to face that pain. Maybe, soon it will all come back to you.

After eating, talking to the boy, she said, We are going to sit on the back porch and drink iced tea. Would you care to join us?

No, I think I will go to my room if it is okay.

Sure, you are free to do as you desire,

…

On the porch, he asked, What do you plan to do with him while I am away?

I intend to read to him and attempt to trigger a memory. I may have him read to me or read alone. I’m not sure yet. What do you propose?

Your idea is good, but I think you should read the classics and include Bible stories. If you get the chance and it is good timing, ask if he is put-off with God over his situation. My feeling is he is in God’s hand, and this is God’s work.

Why do you say that?

"I can’t put my finger on anything particular, but he is different; he has a strength that will carry him through. What type