From 1864 until 1877, the Pawnee Scouts, a unique U.S. Army battalion of about a hundred Pawnees, were scouts and soldiers during the height of the Plains Indian wars and earned the respect of prominent generals in the West, including George Crook, Eugene Carr, and Ranald Mackenzie. They were commanded by the famous "fighting Norths". Originally published in 1928, Two Great Scouts and Their Pawnee Battalion is based upon Luther's firsthand recollections. The Pawnee Scouts and the Norths helped protect the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, scouted for the Connor Expedition in 1865 and along the Republican River in 1866, fought the Cheyennes at the Battle of Plum Creek, directed the Carr Expedition that led to the destruction of the Cheyenne Dog Soldier village at Summit Springs, fought in Crook's Campaign against Dull Knife in 1876-77, and assisted with the campaign following Custer's defeat.