Love Lost and Found - Halliburton (article 133)

Otis Henry Halliburton was born in Bangor, Maine in 1837. We don’t know anything about his childhood; however, as a young man, he left Maine and found his way to Missouri. Based on later experiences, we believe Otis was trained to care for horses, and worked primarily on farms in Missouri. He probably did not own any of the land because he was not financially secure enough to propose to a young girl he had met. Her family was better off, and she was well educated for that time, which were both impediments to a courtship. So, he waited, but then fate interfered. Her family moved, likely to Texas, and they lost track of each other. But he never forgot Susan Mary Payne.

When the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Otis did not at first join up, possibly because Missouri, as a slave state, had leanings toward the new Confederate States of America. But, in April 1862, Otis joined the newly formed 25th Missouri regiment to serve in the Union Army. In some records his name is listed as Otis Halliburton Burton, rather than Otis Henry Halliburton, which was not unusual for either side during the Civil War when less care was taken with records than today. The regiment fought several battles in Southern Missouri and Arkansas and, in October 1862, Otis was severely wounded; in fact, he was not expected to survive. With the help of a caregiver, he wrote a final letter to his mother and lingered on for a few weeks.

Then, he began to recover!

While he was not capable of returning to active service in his unit, he remained with the regiment and served as a wagon master moving supplies to and from battlefields.

Near the end of the War, Otis was asked to join a small caravan of wagons to deliver supplies to an outpost in Kansas. On the way, the group was attacked by a Native American raiding party and only Otis survived, but he was again seriously wounded and was taken captive. The tribes lived in the mountains in New Mexico and Colorado, and they headed home with Otis. The Native Americans must have thought he could be of some value because they treated his wounds and helped him regain his health. There was no doubt that he was their prisoner, but over time, he earned their trust by helping with horses and by not attempting to escape. Yet!

Otis had decided he would choose the right time and opportunity to escape, and he waited for over six months!

Then, a raiding party returned with a small herd of horses and Otis noticed that one of the horses was healthy and built for speed. One day he made his decision, jumped on the horse he had selected, and rode off. His captors quickly noticed and gave chase; however, Otis had chosen well and, with his horse possessing both speed and stamina, he was able to outrun his pursuers and eventually lost them. Several days later, he came upon a small farmhouse and decided to seek shelter and food.

He knocked on the door and when the lady stepped out,……. it was Susan Mary Payne!

The shock for both of them must have been breathtaking. As it turned out, Susan had married a Southerner who joined the Confederate Army but was killed in 1863. Her husband’s family had owned the farm in Texas, and she had moved there with her nine year old daughter. Otis remained in the area using the name on his army records of Otis Halliburton Burton. Over the next few years, the two courted and they married in 1870.

Otis and Susan had five more children including one son, Otis Halliburton Burton II, who lived until 1960. Their son left a newspaper clipping which told the story of his father and mother along with a photograph of the couple, presumably taken for their wedding in 1870.

Their story, while not thoroughly documented, is compelling and should not be forgotten!

Otis passed away in 1898 and Susan, who died later, is buried with him.