The new deputy must have been an unmistakable figure in the Old West. They would travel with a crew, at least one posseman or more, a cook, a guard and one or two wagons with supplies. Spears said Bill Black presented the idea for a Bass Reeves statue after Spears effort for a statue of President Zachary Taylor did not get traction. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. [2] He served for two years before he became ill and had to retire. From the shackles of slavery to the US Marshals Service, Reeves lived a life of conflict, excitement, and heartbreak. But, no matter how well the farm did, Bass Reeves was never meant to be a farmer. Marshals who rode for Parker have received fame over the years: Paden Tolbert bringing in Ned Christie, for example. [5], Reeves and his family farmed until 1875, when Isaac Parker was appointed federal judge for the Indian Territory. [2], When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee Police Department. Evidently, she felt duped and betrayed by the heavily armed deputy. [2] He served for two years before he became ill and retired. Before Reeves could respond, the gunman shot his belt in half. Then, he knocked on the door and asked for a place to rest. The actual number might shock you, however. In the late 1870s and early 1880s, most guards, turnkeys, cooks and bailiffs for the Fort Smith federal court were African Americans. The deputies' job was to clean up the Indian Territory. Reeves is featured in the opening scene of HBO's award-winning series, Watchmen. He captured the two gang members in the Red River Valley, but it wasnt exactly simple: The boys mother chased him for three miles, cursing his name the whole time! Well, the show was last announced as 1883: The Bass Reeves Story back in May 2022. [9], Reeves worked for 32 years as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory and became one of Judge Parker's most valued deputies. Early in the war, the 11th Texas Cavalry Regiment fought at the Battle of Chustenahlah in the Indian Territory and the Battle of Pea Ridge, also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern. Adams served as Reeves posseman, and they were involved in numerous police actions together in and around Muskogee. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Law and order in the Wild West was not a pretty thing. All Rights Reserved. He served 11 years at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before his sentence was commuted; he reportedly lived the rest of his life as a model citizen. As the first Black deputy west of the Mississippi River, Reeves arrested more than . Bass Reeves made it impossible for anyone to overlook him as he embarked on a three-decade stint as a deputy lawman under one of the most cutthroat judges in the West. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8584642/bass-reeves, US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles. Dozier escaped from Bass Reeves for several years until he tracked Bob Dozier down in the Cherokee Hills. Son of NN Reeves and Pearlalee Reeves In 1907 Bass Reeves' time as a deputy marshal came to an end, because law enforcement was taken over by state agencies after Oklahoma became a state. Muskogee was the principal town in the Indian Territory and had a large African American population with many federal offices in town. The details of his sons doings were unpleasant. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 18:56. Fortunately, it was a lucrative business. He was hired as a deputy because of his knowledge of the territory and ability to speak many of the tribal languages. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Heartbroken, this is when Bass Reeves took matters into his own hands. Bass was also taught tactics of disguise in riding horses and stealth in combat. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. His son was tried and sent to Kansas Leavenworth Prison. The legend of Bass Reeves will only continue to grow as more discover his story. He beat the man BACK AND depending on what you read, either killed him or almost killed him. While working as a water boy and field hand with his family as a youngster, Bass would originate and sing songs about guns, rifles, knives, robberies and killings. Eventually, his work earned him a place as the hunted. If anyone has a chance to come to crawford county, come do it! More U.S. marshals died in service while hunting down fugitives in the Western District of Arkansas than any other place. In fact, his personality was so warm that it comes up in countless contemporary sources detailing his many adventures and arrests. Its no wonder he had such a tough reputation among outlaws and lawmen alike. At times, he dressed himself as a local farmer. Art T. Burton, a retired college history professor, has written four critically acclaimed history books on the American Western frontier. Reeves was now 69 years old, the only deputy U.S. marshal I have found that started with Judge Parkers regime in 1875 and worked up to Oklahoma statehood in 1907. After that, Reeves had little choice but to flee his bondage and ride off into the sunset in search of a life as a free man. 7: Caught in a Bad Romance, Brandon Sklenar is the Baddest Dutton of Them All, The 'Outer Banks' S3 Finale Is Intense as Hell. Until then, theres always plenty of Sheridans Paramount shows, such as Yellowstone, 1923, Tulsa King, and Mayor of Kingstown, to feast your eyes on. Reeves methods of enforcement were somewhat unorthodox. He was never KNOWN to make a mistake. Saddle up, because this ones a bit of a doozyI'll explain Bass Reeves as best as I can. Some say the Quentin Tarantino movie, Django, was based on his life.[17]. Bass Reeves is a part of US Black history. In 1907, Reeves joined up with the Muskogee law enforcement office in Oklahoma, where he worked for two years. Bass Reeves was one of the greatest peace officers in the history of the American western frontier. Working mainly the Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory, Reeves would bring more than 3,000 dangerous criminals, outlaws, and murderers to justice - including his own son. Many historians believe that Reeves would later go on to be partial inspiration for the Lone Ranger. So, this semi-biographical series about a real guy is going to be part of the Yellowstone series? Reeves. Other reasons, Kennedy adds, included Reeves age. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. A crack shot, he won 14 shoot-outs with men who all drew on him first without suffering a single wound. Not too many years before, he was the target of law enforcement officials himself. Bass Reeves is often called the 'greatest frontier hero in American history.' He was the first Black Deputy U.S. Over his long career as a lawman, the mustachioed slinger racked up a body count of 14 men. Though he successfully caught the outlaws, Reeves did not escape from his infiltration unscathed. At his trial before Judge Parker, Reeves claimed to have shot the man by mistake while cleaning his gun; he was represented by former United States Attorney W. H. H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. Bass Reeves was the first black man to be appointed a U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. Though there were over 200 deputies to choose from in Indian Territory, marshals, judges, and district courts constantly turned to Bass Reeves because they knew that he would deliver results. [1][2] Reeves was named after his grandfather, Basse Washington. Being ambidextrous he always wore two Colt pistols and he rarely missed his mark. In 1875, everything changed for Reeves. As usual, Reeves confronted Story directly. The Reeves family moved to North Twelfth Street, Park Place, in 1889. Research shows that Reeves stayed in Fort Smith until 1893. prisoners. He was one of Judge Parker's most valued deputies. Typically, local posses accompanied Reeves on his expeditions and stakeouts. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Fortunately, he managed to find love again several years later. Fortunately, though, he had some connections. Marshal, directing him to hire 200 Deputy U.S. Reeves reputation quickly spread across the West. [8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Reeves). Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Territory and could speak several Native languages. The legendary lawman was said to. To top it off, a bridge was named in his honor, a statue was erected in Oklahoma, and the lawman was inducted into the cowboy hall of fame in Texas. It is unclear how, and exactly when, Bass Reeves escaped, but at some point during the Civil War, he gained his freedom. The items will become property of the U.S. The Three Rivers Museum in Muskogee also has several artifacts from Reeves career as a lawman. Arkansas native Bass Reeves was one of the first black lawmen west of the Mississippi River. Family history states that Bass and George got into an argument over a card game during the Civil War. [5] He married Nellie Jennie from Texas, with whom he had ten children, five boys and five girls. During that era, he made one of his top arrests with the capture of the Seminole Indian fugitive known as Greenleaf in April 1890. He also rode the Oklahoma range on a massive white stallion. Reeves's former position as a U.S. [3], When the American Civil War began, George Reeves joined the Confederate Army, forcing Bass to go with him. Reeves became known in the early 1880s for bringing prisoners back to the Fort Smith court in double digits. He was hired as a city policeman in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he served for about two years. setTimeout(function(){var t=document.createElement("script");t.setAttribute("src","https://sample.dragonforms.com/getEmbeddedClientScript.do?embeddedsite=TW_dispatch_nl"),t.setAttribute("type","text/javascript"),document.body.appendChild(t)},5); Become a subscriber today and youll recieve a new issue every month plus unlimited access to our full archive of backlogged issues. This large family was a huge help when it came to chores, and the farm became quite profitable over the years. Marshal Bass Reeves was arguably the greatest lawman and gunfighter of the West, a man who served as a marshal for 32 years in the most dangerous district in the country, captured 3,000 felons, (once bringing in 17 men at one time), and shot 14 men in the line of duty, all without ever being shot himself. To be fair, it was back when George Reeves still owned him, so he didnt have much of a choice. Its probably fair to say that Bass himself wasnt too broken up when he heard the news. Reeves never learned to read, so he memorized his arrest warrants. Marshal Bass Reeves. This is one gunslinger who wont soon be forgotten, so dive in and discover the action-packed life of Bass Reeves. Reeves could not read or write, but he was a skilled detective, a master of disguise, and an expert tracker. Deputy U.S. As early as 1867 there was a posse out of Van Buren, Arkansas, sent to investigate a stagecoach robbery at Atoka, Choctaw Nation, that was led by a deputy U.S. marshal named Negro Smith. Marshal James Fagan was replaced not long after Judge Parker took over the court with a Union veteran, Daniel P. Upham. Then, Reeves met a woman named Winnie Sumter and fell in love all over again. At his death, several newspapers, in and out of state, stated he had killed more than 20 men in the line of duty. Bass Reeves was indeed the Invincible Marshal. A little boy sits transfixed in a movie theater as Reeves brings a crooked white sheriff to justice. After some malfeasance and misappropriations of federal funds, William Story was fired as the judge of the Western District of Arkansas federal court at Fort Smith. President Ulysses S. Grant appointed a U.S. congressman from Missouri named Isaac C. Parker to take over the Fort Smith federal court in March 1875. On one occasion, Reeves went deep undercover. Parker appointed James F. Fagan as U.S. [1][2] He was named after his grandfather, Bass Washington. Though it won't include anyone from the cast of 1883, Bass Reeves will follow the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi River in U.S. history. Kennedy pointed to racist sentiment on the part of incoming state officials, as well as the Congressional delegation and the incoming U.S. marshal when Oklahoma became a state in 1907 as reasons Reeves lost his job with the Marshals Service. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Its entirely possible that the show's Yellowstone interconnectedness drops off by the time it arrivesand we find ourselves with a Bass Reeves series that's entirely separate from Yellowstone. In fact, the Oklahoma City Weekly Times Journal once reported that Reeves was never known to show the slightest excitement, under any circumstance. Over his career, Reeves made a lot of enemies. [3] During the American Civil War, Bass parted company with George Reeves. 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