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Frank J. North: Pawnee Scouts Commander Who Ranched With Buffalo Bill

A Nebraska frontier interpreter who commanded the Pawnee Scouts and later ran cattle on the Dismal River with William F. Cody.

Who was Frank Joshua North?

Frank North is best known as the white officer who commanded the Pawnee Scouts, a unit of Pawnee men who served as scouts for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars. He is in a cattle-focused hall of fame because, after the scouts were disbanded, he went into the cattle business in western Nebraska with William F. Cody, the showman known as Buffalo Bill. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum lists him among its Hall of Great Westerners inductees for 1958, as Wikipedia's list of inductees records.

Early life on the Nebraska frontier

North was born in March 1840 in New York. Wikipedia says Manhattan, while the History Nebraska finding aid says Tompkins County, so the birthplace is uncertain. The family moved to Ohio in 1842 and in 1856 North brought them to Omaha, where his father and brother were clearing timber under contract. His father froze to death in 1857 while surveying, and North and his brother moved the family to Florence. In 1858 they staked a claim near Columbus, and in 1860 North became a clerk and interpreter at the trading post at the Pawnee Agency, according to the History Nebraska finding aid for the North papers.

Commander of the Pawnee Scouts

In 1864 North accompanied the first Pawnee Scouts under General Curtis on a campaign against the Sioux. Afterward he was ordered to raise his own company and made a captain. He was promoted to major in 1867. The scouts were organized each spring and mustered out at the end of winter until 1876 or 1877, depending on the source.

According to Wikipedia's article on North, he fought with his scouts at the Battle of Summit Springs in Colorado Territory on July 11, 1869, and later claimed to have killed the Cheyenne leader Tall Bull there. That claim is reported rather than settled. The Pawnee Scouts were Pawnee men, and their service was part of campaigns that fell hard on the Cheyenne and Sioux.

The North and Cody cattle ranch

After the last muster-out in 1877, North partnered with William F. Cody in a cattle ranch at the head of the Dismal River in western Nebraska. The sources do not give the herd size, acreage or profits. Wikipedia says North sold his interest in 1882, and History Nebraska says the ranching business was sold that year. He then served one term in the Nebraska Legislature and traveled with Cody's Wild West show, where Wikipedia says he managed the American Indians in the company.

The Key to North's Success

North's career depended on relationships and local knowledge more than capital. He learned the Pawnee Agency world as a young clerk and interpreter, then turned that into a command few officers held. His cattle venture followed the same pattern, a partnership built on reputation.

The limits are plain in the record. The ranch lasted only about five years, the sources give no financial detail, and his fame as a scout leader rests on campaigns that involved violence against other Native nations.

  • He worked at the Pawnee Agency trading post as a clerk and interpreter at 20, which gave him direct contact with the Pawnee people.
  • He accepted command of the scouts in 1864 and rose from captain to major by 1867.
  • He kept the scouts organized year after year, seasonally mustering them in each spring until the unit's last service.
  • He entered the cattle business through a partnership with William F. Cody at the head of the Dismal River.
  • He sold the ranch in 1882 rather than stay with it, and turned to the legislature and the Wild West show.
  • He served in public office for one term in the Nebraska Legislature.

Injury, death and honors

In 1884 North was severely hurt in a riding accident in Connecticut and was brought home to Columbus, Nebraska. He died there in March 1885. History Nebraska gives March 14 while Wikipedia gives March 15. He was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1958. For more stories of the plains cattle era, visit the ranching section of farm.FM and read a farm.FM story about Buffalo Bill and ranching.

Timeline

  1. 1840Born in March in New York.
  2. 1856Brings his family to Omaha.
  3. 1860Becomes clerk and interpreter at the Pawnee Agency trading post.
  4. 1864Accompanies the first Pawnee Scouts; is ordered to raise his own company and made captain.
  5. 1867Promoted to major.
  6. 1869Fights at the Battle of Summit Springs on July 11.
  7. 1877Pawnee Scouts mustered out for the last time; partners with William F. Cody on the Dismal River.
  8. 1882The ranching business is sold.
  9. 1885Dies in Columbus, Nebraska, in March.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Frank North?

Frank Joshua North (1840-1885) was a Nebraska frontiersman who commanded the Pawnee Scouts for the U.S. Army and later ran a cattle ranch on the Dismal River with William F. Cody.

Did Frank North ranch with Buffalo Bill?

Yes. After the Pawnee Scouts mustered out in 1877, North partnered with William F. Cody in a cattle ranch at the head of the Dismal River in western Nebraska. The business was sold in 1882.

What were the Pawnee Scouts?

The Pawnee Scouts were Pawnee men organized as scouts for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars. North led them from 1864 until they were last mustered out in 1877.

When was North inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners?

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum inducted Frank Joshua North in 1958, according to Wikipedia's list of Hall of Great Westerners inductees.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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