Co-Rux-Te-Chod-Ish

A Pawnee scout pursued the enemy and suffered a grave wound.

Co-Rux-Te-Chod-Ish, whose name is generally rendered Mad Bear, served as a sergeant among the United States Army’s Pawnee scouts in the campaigns on the Great Plains. These scouts brought knowledge of the country and their own military traditions to operations against peoples who were also the Pawnee’s adversaries.

The official Medal of Honor record places his action at Republican River, Kansas, on 8 July 1869. He ran beyond his command after a dismounted opponent and was severely wounded by a shot from his own side. The award was approved on 24 August 1869. He is recognized as the first Native American recipient of the Medal of Honor.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society records his death on 12 February 1913 and burial at North Indian Cemetery, Pawnee, Oklahoma.