Fiction furnishes no more interesting or thrilling tales than those offered in our own western history. The record of the experiences of Captain Luther H. North are such as would claim the attention of any youth if given in detail. There is no phase of scout life or of Indian warfare in the west with which he is not familiar, and he is numbered among those who have aided in shaping the history of this section of the country. He now makes his home at No. 918 West Fifteenth street in Columbus but is a native of Richland county, Ohio. born March 6, 1846, his parents being Thomas J. and Jane (Townley) North. The father was born in 1812, in Tompkins county, New York, which was also the birthplace of the mother, whose natal year was 1820. Removing to Ohio, the father engaged in business at Rome, Richland county, and was there county surveyor for many years. He was an active representative of the democratic party, taking a helpful interest in promoting the interests of the party in that locality. Removing westward to Chicago, he afterward became a resident of Nebraska, making the journey by rail to Iowa City, Iowa, and thence by stage to Omaha in 1855. He was with a surveying party that helped sectionize all the country between Omaha and Elkhorn, Nebraska. The year after his arrival in this state his family joined him in the west and in March, 1857, he started out with a party of surveyors who were laying out claims. One of this party, John Davis, gave out, after which Thomas J. North aided him to reach a deserted log cabin and then set out to bring help from the ranch house where they were staying but became lost in the deep snow on the Little Pappipio river and was frozen to death. When found by a searching party he was less than a mile from the house he was looking for. His widow long survived him, passing away in 1908.
Captain North of this review began his education in Ohio and attended school to a limited extent in Florence. Nebraska, to which place the family removed after the father's death. He was the third in order of birth of five children. When only thirteen years of age he came to Columbus and became a mail carrier on the Star route between Columbus and Monroe. There were many Indians in the state at that time and in 1859 the Pawnee outbreak occurred. Captain North became familiar with all of the experiences of life on the frontier and with every phase of pioneer existence. After carrying the mail for a year he became associated with his brother James in running a big bunch of cattle on the prairie. In those days all kinds of wagon trains passed through the district on their way to California, Pike's Peak and other places in search of gold. In the fall of 1862 Captain North responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting at Columbus in Company K, Second Nebraska Cavalry, being mustered in at Omaha. He returned from that city to the Pawnee Indian reservation, then near Genoa in Nance county, Nebraska, the Second Regiment being assigned to guard duty against the Sioux, who were then harassing the Pawnees. In the spring of 1863 the command was ordered to Sioux City and joined General Sully's forces, proceeding up the Missouri river to head off a band of Indians. A battle occurred at White Stone Hill in Dakota, in which the Second Nebraska and the Sixth Iowa participated, many Indians and some soldiers being killed.
In 1864 Captain North began freighting from Omaha west to Columbus, Kearney and Cottonwood Springs, the name of the latter place being ultimately changed to Fort McPherson. When hauling grain for an outfit that was going to Virginia City, Nevada, he turned back at Pawnee Springs and was camped near what is now Gothenburg, then known as Brady Island, where he ran into a band of about twenty hostile Sioux. One of the number drew his gun and Captain North was certainly at his mercy, as he had no weapon, but another of the band told his companion not to shoot and nothing was done. However, with reinforcements that same band attacked an emigrant train the next day near Plum creek and killed thirteen. There was always the possibility of an attack when he was engaged in freighting and one had to be continually on the alert.
In 1866 Captain North went to Michigan, where he attended school. The following year his brother Frank recruited four companies of Pawnee Indians and Luther H. North became captain of Company D, First Battalion Indian Scouts. That year, with his command, he participated in several skirmishes. When at Ogallala, Nebraska, doing guard duty for the supply trains. a running fight was held with some Indians under Spotted Tail, the Ogallala Sioux chief, and his son was killed in the encounter. In 1867 Turkey Leg and a band of warriors killed the crew of a train at Plum creek. Captain North's brother, with forty-five men, gave chase and seventeen Cheyennes were killed, while Turkey Leg's squaw and his son were captured. Later in 1867 a council was held between Generals Sherman, Sheridan, Harney and several of the Indian chiefs, among them Turkey Leg and his squaw and son were exchanged for three white boys and two girls. After a year Luther H. North was made captain of Company A. All of the service was in the spring and summer months, as the Indians would not go on a winter campaign. In 1869 a battle was fought against Tall Bull at Summit Springs, Colorado. The battle was originally called Susanna Springs, as in the encounter a woman named Susanna was recaptured from the Indians. In that engagement about one hundred of the red men were killed.
Captain North continued in active service until 1870 and then, retiring from the army, came to Columbus, where he engaged in the livery business until 1876. In that year General Sherman called him and his brother Frank to Chicago and they went to the Indian territory, where the Pawnees were then upon a reservation. They were sent to Fort D. A. Russell after being equipped at Sidney. Nebraska. Frank North, who was an unusually fine pistol shot, was post guide at Fort Russell. From Sidney the troops went north to Fort Robinson and drove Red Cloud off Chadron creek and back to Fort Robinson. They proceeded on to Fort Laramie and then joined the command of General Crook. On the 26th of November they found a band of Cheyennes under Dull Knife and a big battle was fought on the Powder river in the Big Horn mountains, in which more whites were killed than Indians. After the Indians were forced to surrender the village was destroyed, together with about fifteen hundred buffalo skins. Captain North was mustered out of service in 1877. Between the years 1870 and 1876, although not an enlisted soldier he did some scout duty for a company of infantry and cavalry located at Fort Hartsuff on the Loup river at St. Paul, Nebraska. In 1877 he engaged with his brothers and W. F. Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, in the cattle business on Dismal river in Nebraska. In 1882 he returned to Columbus and bought and sold horses and cattle. In 1886 he was appointed by Cleveland as deputy internal revenue collector and upon his return to Columbus in 1889 he engaged in the livestock business. In 1900 he began farming, to which he devoted his attention until 1910, when he entered the service of the United States government as storekeeper gauger at Omaha. However, he has called Columbus his home since 1859 and is now living retired here occupying a pleasant residence at No. 918 West Fifteenth street.
In 1898 Captain North married Miss Elvina Sprague, a daughter of James E. Sprague, who went west to California and afterward returned to Nebraska, becoming a blacksmith and farmer at Silver Creek, Merrick county, where he also conducted a store. When Captain North can be prevailed upon to enter into reminiscences concerning his life as scout and Indian fighter, his tales are most interesting. He thoroughly knows the red man, his habits, his methods of warfare, his customs, his beliefs and his ideas. He speaks the language of some of the tribes and takes a fair and impartial view of the Indian problem, having his information concerning the red race at first hand. His efforts have been an effective force in reclaiming this region for the purposes of civilization and his name deserves a prominent place on the pages of Nebraska's history.
