The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1929-08-08

Pawnee Scouts were mustered into the United
States service
For the next five years Norths Pawnee scouts
proved of nestimable value. Ready to move at
moments notice they repeatedly pursued and
punished Sioux raiding parties which would have
found It easy to escape from regular army troops.
They acted as scouts for General C0nnors i'll
fated expedition against the hostiles in the Pow
der river and Yellowstone country in 1868 and
most of the honors of that campaign, in the
different skirmishes which were fought, were won
by the scouts. It was Capt. Frank North and
his Pawnees who found the lost and starving
command of Colonel Cole who was to cooperate
with General Connor's column and guided them to
safety and it was during this campaign that the
Pawnees conferred upon their white leader the
highest honor in their power. Before one of the
fights during that campaign, in which the Paw
nees, led brilliantly by North, had taken the
scaps of 81 hostile Cheyennes, North had been
known as "Ski ri TAXA or White Wolf During
the victory celebration held after the battle the
Pawnees changed his name to 'Pani eshar" or
the Pawnee Chief 1t name which only
one other white man had ever before been given
and that was General Fremont, for whom the
Pawnees held high regard.
The year 1867 was the most brilliant in the
history of the Norths and their Pawnees Gen
Va '''N
Platte authorized the organizatMn of battalion
of four companies of Pawnee scouts with Frank
North in command with the title of major. One
of the companies was commanded by Luther
North who given the rank OF captain. The
principal job of The scouts was to protect the
builders of the Union Pacific from hostile In
dams and so important and so efficient was their
work in this that it is not too much to say that
had it not been for this little force of loyal red
men and their white leaders the dream of a trans
continental railway might have been delayed for
several years.
The work of the scouts during that year and
the following year. until the treaty of 1868 put an
end to the Indian troubles, for a time at least
furnishes material for dozens of thrilling yarns
One incident. because it shows The metal of the
enemy which the Norths had to fight, is note
worthy. One of their scouts was half-breeC
Pawnee whose father was Spaniard His name
was Baptiste BEHALF and he was one of the mos
proficient of all the tribe in the use of the bow
and arrows. During one of the fights Sioux
Indian was endorsed and BEHALF shot him will
an arrow. The shaft struck the Sioux under thu
right shoulder, went clear through his body anC
came cut on the left side The warrior stopped
running pulled the arrow through, fitted it Il
his bow, wheeled around and shot it at BehaI,
who was riding close behind him on his horse
BEHALF threw himself low his horses neck ant
the arrow passed over his body about two nche
too hight AS he Strengthened up, he looket
down to see that the Sioux had dropped dead thu
moment after he had discharged the arrow
In 1869 the Sioux and Cheyennes were agair
on the warpath and again the Pawnee scouts
were called into service. In view OF the recen
revival of interest in the exploits of Col w. f
Cody, Buffalo Bill" and the controversy which
had been raging in number of newspapers owe
certain of his deeds it is interesting to read il
Doctor Grnnells book the story of the Batt
Of Summit Springs. Colo. where, ii has been as
serted, Cody killed the celebrated chief Tall Bull
That chiefs camp was attacked by General Car
and the Fifth cavalry and after fhe first dash int
the Indian camp, The soldiers were engaged il
hunting out the indians who had taken refug
into number of ravines one O. these refugee
was the chief himself, who fired at Frank an
Luther North as they rode past his hiding place
Frank North dsmounled, waited for the India
to show himself again and then shot him throug
the forehead. Later in the day 1all Bulls widoy
pointed Frank North out the slayer Of he
husband. AS for Cody's part in that BATH
Grinnell says, "A terrific storm OF hail and raj
came up and while all hands We're trying to ge
under shelter in the lodges, Cody rode into CAM
He had been with Colonel Royal and had misse
the fight. Later by Ned Buntline (E 9. Judson)
he was given credit for having killed Tall Bul
but he was aot in the fight at all"