Frank North facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Joshua North
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| Born | 10 March 1840 Manhattan, New York |
| Died | 15 March 1885 (age 45) Columbus, Nebraska |
| Buried |
Columbus Cemetery, Columbus, Nebraska
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| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1864 - 1877 |
| Rank |  Major (USA) |
| Commands held | Pawnee Scouts |
| Battles/wars |
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| Other work | Politician |
Frank Joshua North (born March 10, 1840 – died March 15, 1885) was an important American figure. He worked as an interpreter, helping people who spoke different languages understand each other. He was also an officer in the United States Army and later a politician. Frank North is best known for creating and leading a special group called the Pawnee Scouts. He led them from 1865 to 1877. His brother, Luther H. North, also helped lead these scouts.
Frank North's Early Life
Frank Joshua North was born in Manhattan, New York, on March 10, 1840. He had an older brother named James E. North. Their parents, Thomas J. and Jane E. North, had moved from New York to Ohio. Frank's younger brother, Luther H. North, and two younger sisters were born in Ohio.
In 1856, when Frank was 16, he moved to Nebraska. He worked as a transporter, moving goods between Omaha, Nebraska and Fort Kearny. During this time, North met the Pawnee people. He became friends with them and learned the Pawnee language. By 1860, North was working as a clerk and interpreter at the Pawnee Agency trading post in Genoa, Nebraska.
Military Service and the Pawnee Scouts
In 1864, a general named Samuel Ryan Curtis asked Frank North to create a group of Pawnee scouts. These scouts would help the Union army. In 1865, North formed Company A of the Pawnee Scouts. He was made a First Lieutenant and then a Captain.
While leading the scouts, Captain North fought in several battles. These included Crazy Woman's Fork, the Powder River Massacre, and the Battle of the Tongue River. All of these fights happened in August 1865 in the Dakota Territory. On July 11, 1869, he and his scouts fought at the Battle of Summit Springs in Colorado Territory. After this battle, North said he had shot and killed the Cheyenne chief Tall Bull. He also took part in the Dull Knife Fight on November 25, 1876. Frank North was promoted to the rank of major. He left the Army in 1877.
Later Life and Work
After his military service, Frank North served one term in the Nebraska Legislature. This was from 1871 to 1872. He then became a ranching partner with William F. Cody. They owned a cattle ranch in western Nebraska on the Dismal River.
In 1882, North sold his share of the ranch. He then joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. He worked as the manager for the American Indians in the show. In 1884, he had a serious horse accident in Hartford, Connecticut. He broke seven ribs and was badly hurt. Because of these injuries and a following illness, Frank Joshua North died on March 15, 1885. He passed away in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska. In 1958, he was honored by being added to the Hall of Great Westerners. This hall is part of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
