Sunday, May 2.
Arrived home and found Mary up.  had been up all night with the baby. she is real sick. the baby is still sick tonight hope she is better in the morn.


Monday 3.
this morn I went to Omaha and after a good deal of running around I got through all my business and came home on no.3.  found the baby all broke out with measels.


Wednesday 5.
this morn went to Omaha again and after being relieved for one week Gen Auger ordered me to Grand Island to Guide troops to shell creek.

A detachment of the Fifth Cavalry commanded by Maj. E. W. Crittenden was ordered on May 5, 1869 to establish a camp on Shell Creek in order to protect the Pawnee Reservation and nearby white settlements from raids by hostile Sioux. North was ordered to guide troops from Grand Island to Shell Creek. He was soaked in crossing the Loup River and became ill before reaching the Shell Creek area. He returned to Columbus and sent another man to guide the soldiers. He also arranged for the purchase of beef and other supplies for the unit. The force remained in the locality for the rest of the year conducting several scouting expeditions and pursuits of small raiding parties which were believed to have come down from the Ft. Randall area.


May, Tuesday 25.  1869
This morn went & fixed up business with Johnny Bowman he is to give me $40-pr month for my house. - after dinner I went up to my farm & measured of my 40 acres for breaking.

It appears Frank North owned a building that he had fitted out for a saloon and rented to John Bowman. On June 7th, 1869 Bowman was granted a license to sell liquor at the location on Lot 7 in Block 86 in Columbus, property owned by Frank North..



June, Thursday 3.  1869.
Arrived at Ogallala at 9 a.m. and at 10 a.m. I received orders to be at McPherson by sunday night.  I moved after dinner and we came to Roscoe where we are not camped.  The boys are on it.

Roscoe is listed as a small 'unimportant station' east of Ogallala


Monday 7.
Arrived at Brady at 4.30 a.m. found Co. "B" waiting for me.  we crossed the River after a great deal of hard work and arrived at the Fort at noon.  I went to Brady after wild ponies and to ship Indians horses home.  returned to the Fort at 11 p.m. in an awful rain storm.  1 Bay struck by lightening.


Thursday 10.
This morn got the company together and started for Columbus met Co. Litchfield and he came back and we mustered the men in this eve  we are to buy horses here tomorrow.


June, Saturday 12.  1869
Today finished buying ponies and shipped all but one for Kearny


Sunday 13.
Took breakfast at Grand Island and arrived at Kearny at 9:30 a.m. saddled all the ponies and took them off the cars and issued arms, clothing etc.  am very tired tonight.


June, Tuesday 15. 1869
This morn we took breakfast at Bairds and then started for Republican.  Oh what a long dry march mules horses and men nearly perished.  Marched thirty-five miles  Camp on dry creek.

North was ordered to go south from Fort Kearny with Company C of the Pawnee Scouts and to locate and join General Carr's command. He also carried dispatches for Carr.


Wednesday 16.
Today we marched to Dog Creek and came in sight of Carr's outfit  I sent man with request for wagon.  It came and we moved about 4 miles when a heavy storm sent us into Camp wet to the skin   lost 1 horse.

The command was camped on Prairie Dog Creek 6.3 miles south, southeast of the Republican River. It was found impossible for the wagons to cross the creek without bridging. Carr ordered that the wagons be left with an escort, and pursuit was made of Indians who attempted to stampede the command's horses and mules as they were being watered in the Republican.


Thursday 17.
This morn we moved on and overtook Command at 3 p.m.  Camp tonight on Blind Bluff Creek.


Saturday 19.
This morn moved at 6 a.m. and came back on our old trail to Dog Creek.  I found a trail of one lodge made since the rain.  perhaps we will have to follow it  we marched 25 miles pretty tired.


June, Monday 21. 1869
This morn we moved at 5 a.m. and marched 28 miles without water.  have very good camp tonight all well  no sioux signs.


Tuesday 22.
Today we marched 25 miles over hills and through ravines and finaly camped on the same creek we left in the morn.  I have a fine camp here it takes 18 men to form a chain guard around my camp.


Wednesday 23.
Moved at 5 a.m.  Came accross the country of little Beaver killed lots of Buffalo had lots of ribs marched about 20 miles.  Lute lost his pocket watch with 95 dollars in it in a buffalo chase.  I, Lute and several of my men went out after dinner and found it


Friday 25.
This morn shot one of our horses and moved camp 2 miles.  Crossed the Beaver and camped in a beautiful place, one of our co. "b" boys accidentally shot himself in the leg yesterday and one in the arm today.

Luther North recalled that one Scout shot himself in the hand, the bullet emerging from the elbow. The wounded man refused to allow the surgeon to amputate the arm. On June 30 he was sent from the command to Fort McPherson and five days later when he reached the post his arm was infected and badly swollen. He was sent on to the Pawnee Reservation and the tribal medicine man treated his wound. When Luther saw him again in the fall his arm was cured except for a slight stiffness of the wrist.


July, Saturday 3, 1869.
moved this morn at 5:30 marched up north fork of Republican River.  I sent 10 men out on scout they found trail of thirty Lodges.  two white men went with them and one has not returned.  marched 15 miles


Sunday 4.
Moved at 5:30 marched 25 miles camp on same stream as last night.  sent 50 men out on Scout with Col. Royal to follow Indian trail

Maj. Gen E. A. Carr in command of the expedition reported that "On the 4th of July, believing that the Indians were near I sent Bvt. Col. W.B. Royall with three companies of 5th Cavalry and one of Pawnee Scouts, amounting to about one hundred men, with three days rations to follow the trail."


Wednesday 7.
today has been a great day for the Scouts.  returned at 2 p.m. with scalps from 3 indians and 8 captured animals. 2 with U.S. brand which I turn in.  6 I gave to the men.  I am in hopes we can find the small village in a few days

Luther North describes the action in a letter to his uncle, John Calvin North: "We followed right up the Rive and on the morning of the 6th some of our men that were out scouting ran across a small party of Indians and succeeded in killing three of them but it let the Indian camp know that we were in the country and the next day we lost the trail..."


Thursday 8.
This morn at 6 a.m. we marched 15 miles back to our old camp on north fork.  went to bed at 9 p.m. and was awoke at 11 by firing in camp.  five Cheyenne charged our camp.  one man was shot by our own men not bad.

Gen Carr reported, "About midnight, an attack was made on our camp by a number of Indians who charged in among the horses, yelling and firing into camp. They did not succeed in getting any animals or injuring anyone. Sergeant Co-rux-to-chod-ish (Mad Bear) Pawnee who was Sergeant of the Pawnee guard, ran out after one of the Indians whose horse had fallen and thrown him and was about to overtake and kill him when he was shot down by a bullet from our side."


Saturday 10.
this morn moved at 6 a.m. and followed Indian trail 35 miles passed three of the Indians camps. in the morn we move early and take 3 days rations on pack mules and light out for the Indians. we will have a fight tomorrow sure.  I hope we may come out victorious.  I shall be careful for the sake of dear ones at home.


Sunday 11.
Marched this morn at 6 a.m. with 50 of my men and 200 whites with 3 days rations  followed trail till 3 p.m. and came up to the village made a grand charge and it was a complete victory took the whole village about 85 lodges killed about 60 indians took 17 prisoners and about 300 ponies and robes etc.

General Carr's report indicates the considerable part that the Pawnee played in locating the hostile camp and in the subsequent Battle of Summit Springs. He wrote, "Next day (June 10) we followed the trail which led up the Frenchman Fork, passed two of their camps and encamped on a third. . . . They had left it that morning and I determined to leave the wagons and push for them.
"I took all available men; that is all whose horses were fit for service, and they amounted to two hundred and forty-four (244) officers and soldiers and fifty (50) Pawnee scouts out of seven companies of the 5th Cavalry and one hundred and fifty Pawnee. This shows the necessity of having the horses well fed and cared for and of having extra animals on every expedition. "When we reached the breaks of the Platte Bluffs the Pawnees reported seeing two horsemen, and recommended taking the whole command into the ravine which was done.
"We galloped about an hour through low sand hills and loose sand and saw no sign of indians, and I began to think the whole [affair)] was a humbug... when some Pawnees beckoned me to come to them, which I did with the command though I had little hopes of finding anything. . . . The Pawnees pointed out a herd of animals about four miles off in the hills. . . . I thought it were possible it might be Buffalo but of course determined to go and see.

"The Pawnee stripped themselves for the fight, taking off their saddles and as much of their clothing as could be dispensed with and still have something to distinguish them from the hostiles...When concealment was no longer possible, I placed the three leading companies in parallel columns of two's, directed Major Crittenden, 5th Cavalry to take command and sounded the charge. We were over a mile from the village and still undiscovered. The leading companies with the Pawnees on their left put their horses at speed while the rest followed at a fast gallop. "They [the hostiles] proved to be Dog soldiers, Cheyennes and Ogallala Sioux. I had only one man slightly scratched by an arrow. One horse killed and twelve died in the chase. [Fifty-two Indians were killed on the field and seventeen women and children were captured.]

"The Pawnees under Major Frank North were of the greatest service to us throughout the campaign. This has been the first time since coming west that we have been supplied with Indian scouts and the results have shown their value.

"The place where the battle took place is I believe called Summit Springs." The Summit Spring site is located about twelve miles south and five miles east of Sterling Colorado. "This band proved to be Dog Soldier Cheyennes' commanded by Tatonka Haska or "Tall Bull" who was killed in the engagement after a desperate personal defense. While there has been some dispute as to who killed Tall Bull it is probable he was killed by Frank North.


July 12, 1869.
Invoiced property today and burned what we did not want and started on the march at 12 m. for the Platte River arrived in camp at 4 p.m. we are 65 miles from Julesburgh


Copy of the invoice:
56 rifles; 22 revolvers; 40 sets bows & arrows; 20 tomahawks; 47 axes; 150 knives; 50 lbs of powder; 20 lbs of bullets; 14 bullet molds; 8 bars of lead; 25 boxes percussion caps; 17 war shields; 17 sabres; 9 lances; 13 war bonnets; 690 buffalo ropes; 502 panniers; 15 moccasins; 319 raw hides; 361 saddles; 31 mess pans; 64 brass and iron camp kettles; 200 raw hide lariats; 85 lodges complete; 125 travois; 9300 lbs dried buffalo meat; 160 tin cups; 180 tin plates; 200 dressing knives; 8 shovels; 75 lodge skins (new); 40 saddle bags; 75 bridles; 28 womens dresses (new); 50 hammers; 9 coats; 100 lbs tobacco; 200 coffee pots (tin); 1500 dollars (in gold and national bank notes); 25 horses and mules killed; In addition 247 horses and 144 mules were captured.


Tuesday 13.
Marched at 6.30 a.m. this morn came down the Platte River 21 miles camp at River Side  Fred's old stage station  the Officers of the 5th Cav. selected all the best ponies and kept them.  I have in charge 180 ponies don't know what will be done with them.

Riverside was a stagecoach station and was located near the present site of Iliff in Logan County, Colorado.


Friday 16.
Came to camp just in time to see Gen Augur.  we had a council today with the prisoners.  the gen. will take them to Omaha.  divided up the ponies.

The above prisoners are the 17 women and children captured at Summit Springs


Tuesday 20.
Arrived Omaha at 4 a.m. went to see the Indians.  they all act guilty of the McMurty Murder.

Edward McMurty, a resident of Pepperville Precinct, Butler County, was killed on an island in the Platte River by persons believed to have been Pawnee Indians.


Thursday 22.
Went to the village today and served the warrant.


Friday 23.
Brought prisoners down today.  arrived at Columbus 3 p.m.  Brought prisoners into Omaha


July, Saturday 24, 1869.
This morn took witnesses and prisoners before Judge and had them examined.  They were dismissed.  I started home at 6:30 p.m.


Thursday 29.
Called council this morn and told chiefs we would take them to Omaha and keep them till we found the guilty parties.

The newspapers reported three Pawnee chiefs were brought to Omaha and held hostage until the murderers were given up.


Saturday 31.
This morn brought the Indians out and had a little talk.  postponed the trial till Monday.

Click HERE to read excerpts of August thru September


The excerpts you are reading was taken from the book Journal Of An Indian Fighter, The 1869 Diary Of Frank North. It was edited by Donald Danker.