Bio
Frank Joshua North (1840–1885) was a notable American military officer, interpreter, and politician, best remembered for his role as the organizer and leader of the Pawnee Scouts during the American Indian Wars. Born on March 10, 1840, in Manhattan, New York, he moved to Nebraska at age 16, where he began working as a transporter and developed friendships with the Pawnee Indians, learning their language.
In 1864, North was recruited by Major General Samuel R. Curtis to organize a company of Pawnee scouts for the Union Army. He formed Company A of the Pawnee Scouts in 1865 and quickly rose to the rank of Captain. Under his command, the scouts engaged in several key battles, including the Powder River Massacre and the Battle of the Tongue River. He notably claimed to have killed Cheyenne chief Tall Bull during the Battle of Summit Springs in 1869.
After being mustered out in 1877 with the rank of Major, North served a term in the Nebraska State Legislature from 1871 to 1872 and later became a ranching partner with William F. Cody in western Nebraska. He eventually managed the American Indian performers in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.
North suffered severe injuries in a horse accident in 1884, which led to his death on March 15, 1885, in Columbus, Nebraska.
