They sheltered him from lawmen who sought to return him to slavery. 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. In Black Gun, Silver Star, Burton recounts some stories from Adam Grayson, a former resident of Indian Territory, saying that Reeves tore up at least one warrant for a prisoner who outraced his sorrell steed. After refusing to surrender, Reeves killed Dozier in a gunfight on December 20, 1878.In 1882 Bass Reeves arrested outlaw [12] Belle Starr for horse theft, but some say that Belle Starr turned herself in when she heard that Bass Reeves was looking for her. The following is just a short sampling of Reeves police work in the 1880s. This appointment was made by Judge Isaac C. Parker in May of 1975. 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 Dropped Its First Trailer, 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Is Already In the Works, 'The Last of Us' Ep. A hard-headed judge named Isaac Parker ordered a US Marshal to find 200 deputies in Indian Territory. 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. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. 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. His wife had an affair. (Fort Smith National Historic Site. [2][5] He killed 14 outlaws to defend his life. Born into slavery, the Arkansas native became a lauded, and legendary U.S. deputy marshal. A little boy sits transfixed in a movie theater as Reeves brings a crooked white sheriff to justice. Marshals. Bass Reeves delivered two prisoners to U.S. Reeves spent 30 years in the perilous job of a deputy U.S. marshal in Oklahoma's Indian Territory. [3] During the American Civil War, Bass parted company with George Reeves. [1] When Bass was eight (about 1846), William Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peters Colony. Bass Reeves began his life as a slave in the state of Arkansas in July 1838, near the town of Van Buren. He is believed to be buried in a small cemetery on Fern Mountain Road west of town. Despite taking down over 3,000 outlaws and getting into dozens of dust-ups, the rough and tumble lawman never fell victim to any serious injuries. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, Reeves made it through his career entirely unscathed. The series will star David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, a real-life former slave who became the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi in the 1870s. In total, he found at least twelve cards posted promising his demise. A fitting end to a horrible man, George Reeves contracted rabies and passed in 1882. Reeves had a beat in downtown Muskogee, during . For the next ten years, he lived a quiet life on his country farm. Bass Reeves was involved in the "Wild, Wild West," part of the westward expansion of the United States. Marshals Bill Tilghman (1854-1924), Chris Madsen (1851-1944), and Heck Thomas (1850-1912). Reeves did one thing, and he did it very well: He tracked down outlaws on the lam. [2][5] Reeves was assigned as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, which had responsibility also for the Native reservation Territory. Marshal west of the Mississippi river, who served in the Oklahoma and Arkansas territory in the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Reeves's former position as a U.S. He thought hed hit his mark and he burst out in laughter. [5] He was an uncle of Paul L. Brady, the first African-American appointed a Federal Administrative Law Judge (in 1972). Eighty-two of the U.S. deputy marshals are buried at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith. Despite never drawing first, Reeves ended up in a lot of shootouts. Bass was also taught tactics of disguise in riding horses and stealth in combat. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Bass Reeves was commissioned in late 1875 as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Fort Smith federal court. Bass Reeves was born a slave in the 1830's American South. Marshals who rode for Parker have received fame over the years: Paden Tolbert bringing in Ned Christie, for example. Bass won many turkey shoots for his master, which in Texas was prestigious for George. Editors of AHM, A Guide to America's Greatest Historic Places, p. 9). The Lone Ranger has appeared in thousands of radio episodes, hundreds of television episodes, hundreds of comic books, six films, and dozens of novels. Almost a year out from a planned opening of the new $60 million museum, it's the lawman's family tree the curator wants most. He liked to brag that there was never any crime reported on his beat. Wasnt Bass Reeves a real guy? Then, Reeves met a woman named Winnie Sumter and fell in love all over again. A little dose of karma eventually came down upon the Colonel. It was probably a pleasant changebut it was not to last. Marshals who worked for the Federal Court at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He died in 1910. The Court Notes of the July 31, 1885, Fort Smith Weekly Elevator for example states Deputy Bass Reeves came in same evening with eleven prisoners, as follows: Thomas Post, one Walaska, and Wm. While he lived with the local Indigenous tribes, Bass became a guide for government officials who traveled through the Indian Territory. . The only significant remains of the second fort [built in 1839] are the old stone Commissary Building and Judge Parker's Courtroom, which has been restored. The known black deputy U.S. marshals, however, are listed as Rufus Cannon, Bill Colbert, Bynum Colbert, Cyrus Dennis, Wiley Escoe, Neely Factor, Robert Fortune, John Garrett, Edward D. Jefferson, Grant Johnson, John Joss, Robert Love, Zeke Miller, Crowder Nicks (Nix), Charles Pettit, Bass Reeves, Ed Robinson, Dick Roebuck, Isaac Rogers, Jim Ruth, Dick Shaver, Morgan Tucker, Lee Thompson, Eugene Walker and Henry Whitehead. He retired at 70 years old and lived out his remaining time in some much-needed peace. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. As usual, Reeves struck out with a posse. Fortunately, it was a lucrative business. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Indian Territory and could speak several Indian languages. 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. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Obituaries ran in the white and Black newspapers of Muskogee and were republished across the nation. Two weeks later he returned to Muskogee with his son and turned him over to Marshal Bennett. Bass got so upset at being cheated, he beat his master down and knocked him out. Who knows! After 1900, Muskogee had city police, with two deputy U.S. marshals stationed there, Bass Reeves and a white man David Adams. [5], Reeves was married twice and had eleven children. Marshal Reeves was disturbed and shaken by the incident but demanded to accept the responsibility of bringing his son to justice. This court at that time had jurisdiction over most of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. Oklahoma became a state in 1907. Reeves must not have slept. [78] Reeves was born into slavery in Grayson County, Texas in 1838. One account recalls how Bass Reeves and George Reeves had an altercation over a card game. Im not sure he was too worried about it, though. In 1907, Reeves joined up with the Muskogee law enforcement office in Oklahoma, where he worked for two years. But theres one last twist in this story: Bennie received a pardon in 1914. Reeves and his posse burned Christies home to the ground. 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. In the late 1870s, although Reeves was a deputy U.S. marshal, much of his work was as a posseman for other deputy U.S. marshals, including Robert J. Reeves was an expert with pistol and rifle and could shoot ambidextrously. The lawman was such a good shot that nobody wanted to face him in competition. The Legend of Bass Reeves by author Gary Paulsen is a Western written for young readers. Marshals Museums board of directors, said Burton told Reeves story at a Fort Smith National Historic Site Descendants Day event in the early 2000s and helped Reeves receive the notoriety for his bravery and incredible career as a lawman. In 1897, he was transferred again, serving at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Native Territory. Marshal James Fagan was replaced not long after Judge Parker took over the court with a Union veteran, Daniel P. Upham. Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves reunites with his former partner turned fugitive Sam Tanner. He beat the man BACK AND depending on what you read, either killed him or almost killed him. [5][6][7][8], He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, who became the first black man appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972. Their names are listed side by side with other Deputy U.S. Reeves greatest gunfight was in 1884. Federal Judge Paul Brady and his wife Xernona were in Fort Smith on Monday (April 11) to donate a gun, U.S. After casting off the shackles, Bass embarked on a truly remarkable journey. Marshal was abolished at that time, so he became an officer with the Muskogee Police Department, where he served for two years until he was forced to resign because of his declining health. Reeves couldnt stay on as a ranger forever. Neither man backed down. Adams served as Reeves posseman, and they were involved in numerous police actions together in and around Muskogee. In the show, that little boy is quickly ushered out of the movie theater by his terrified parents as the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre unfolds. [2] He served for two years before he became ill and had to retire. He was known for his politeness and courteous manner. [5], He was himself once charged with murdering a posse cook. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. When Reeves located the cabin of Christie in the Cherokee Nation, his posse burned it down, but Ned escaped capture and death. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Reeves made a name for himself early in his career when he struck out after the famous outlaw Bob Dozier. Almost a year out from a planned opening of the new $60 million museum, its the lawmans family tree the curator wants most. A man could make a lot of money at itand Reeves was one of the best in the biz. It did not seem accidental. He married a woman named Nellie Jennie, and they must have been really into each other. Despite his instantly-recognizable look, rumor has it that the lawman had a few other tricks up his sleeve. His career stretched from the U.S. Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas in 1875 until two years after Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907.. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith has an impressive collection of guns and documents related to famed Deputy U.S. George Reeves was also a legislator, in Texas, and at the time of his death in 1882 from rabies, George Reeves was the Speaker of the House in the Texas legislature. Bass Reeves (July 1838 - January 12, 1910) was an American law enforcement official, historically noted as the first black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. He was given the name of his owner, William Reeves. Gibson, assault with intent to kill; Arthur Copiah, Abe Lincoln, Miss Adeline Grayson and Sally Copiah, alias Long Sally, introducing whiskey in Indian country; J.F. Love the history behind my home town! Marshal Bass Reeves, possibly the greatest lawman of the Old West. All Photos Courtesy Art T. Burton Unless Otherwise Noted . This troubled his mother greatly as she thought he wanted to be an outlaw. After escaping his masters, Reeves traveled to Oklahoma, or Indian Territory, as it was known then. The Creek Nation had a heavy African Indian population, as did the Seminole Nation. In May 1881, Reeves made his first trip to Detroit, Michigan, to the House of Corrections, along with five other deputies transporting 21 prisoners by train via St. Louis. Bass Reeves moved to Van Buren, Arkansas. Reeves lived in the protection of his new communities and learned their languages for the next several years. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. After five years and several hundred thousand dollars in fundraising, Spears and his committee saw the unveiling of the large bronze Bass Reeves Legacy Monument by H. Holden at Ross Pendergraft Park in downtown Fort Smith in May 2012. [5] He recruited him as one of his deputies and Reeves was the first African-American deputy west of the Mississippi River. If so, login to add it. He got close to the two sons, told tall tales of thievery, and waited. 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. Its probably fair to say that Bass himself wasnt too broken up when he heard the news. The Arkansas Gazette in September 1884 re-ported Reeves brought 15 prisoners to Fort Smith. [5], One of his sons was charged with the murder of his wife. For four years, the lawman mourned the passing of his beloved Nellie. His family was owned by the prosperous and politically well-connected family of William Reeves, an early Arkansas legislator . In 1848, George was elected tax collector, and in 1850, he was elected sheriff of Grayson County. prisoners. Bass Reeves was the first black man to be appointed a U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. In fact, his personality was so warm that it comes up in countless contemporary sources detailing his many adventures and arrests. And he got his man as often as any of the deputies. Other times, bullets took his hat from his head, buttons from his coat, and the reigns from his hands. He was barred from competitive turkey shoots, although he always claimed to be only fair with a rifle. Scandalous Facts About Hollywood Celebrities, Lawyers Reveal Their Most Jaw-Dropping Court Cases, Extravagant Facts About Josephine Baker, The Black Pearl of Paris, Couldnt Pay Me To Go Back: Absolutely Wild Stories Of High School Drama, Catherine The Great Was a Mighty EmpressUntil Her Brutal Downfall, These Mortifying Mistakes Make Us Want To Hit Undo. 1 of 3 In a statue of Bass Reeves residing in the Lamar County Courthouse, sculptor Eddie Dixon arms the famed lawman with a double-barreled shotgun. In this capacity, his familiarity with the land served him well. Reeves brought in some of the most dangerous fugitives of the time; he was never wounded despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions. 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. Parker appointed James F. Fagan as U.S. During a game of cards with his owner, Reeves won, which caused his owner to beat him. Harmons 1898 book Hell on the Border. However, as early as 1901 writer D.C. Gideon detailed Reeves in his book Indian Territory., Among the numerous deputy marshals that have ridden for the Paris (Texas), Fort Smith (Arkansas) and Indian Territory courts none have met with more hairbreadth escapes or have affected more hazardous arrests than Bass Reeves, of Muskogee, Gideon writes. Barton quotes many sources in his book, and many times Reeves is credited with bringing in about a dozen prisoners or more at a time from the Indian Territory to the District Courthouse in Fort Smith. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Fortunately, he had another useful skill. Bennie was subsequently captured, tried, and convicted. Marshal. [9]Bass Reeves was the first African American Deputy to be appointed west of the Mississippi River. Unlike most of his African-American brothers, REEVES was treated with respect and his legend, even as just a U.S. He appointed [8] James Fagan as U.S. [2] Once he had to arrest his own son for murder. Adams, Jake Island, Andy Alton and one Smith, larceny.. [2], In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and pistol, Reeves, during his long career, developed superior detective skills. Marshal badge and bullets that one belonged to U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves. However, Bass Reeves certainly liked to tell a tall tale, and his descendants have since said that these claims were false. Dozier shot first, firing at them from a stand of trees. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. He was also a black dude. He was 62 tall and extraordinarily strong. When the altercation turned physical, Reeves released a well-deserved beatdown on the Colonel. Claude Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotion Commission and a member of the U.S. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Eventually, his work earned him a place as the hunted. He knew that every chase was potentially his last. Because it was Bass's son the other deputies were reluctant to take the warrant. They didnt always give him that option. by Art T. Burton | Jan 25, 2021 | Features & Gunfights, This is the best known photograph of Deputy U.S. Reeves was also known to love racing his sorrell horse, and would go to extremes to serve writs. He served in the Indian Territory for 32 years. Given the 30-odd years he spent as a ranger, this is quite a remarkable achievement. In May 1902, Reeves and Adams went to the town of Braggs, Cherokee Nation, to quell racial strife. Reeves son, Benjamin Reeves, strayed from the family tree and ran into serious trouble with the law. Bass Reeves (July 1838 January 12, 1910) was an American law enforcement official, historically noted as the first black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was over six feet tall and sported a thick black handlebar mustache. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 18:56, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, "Bass Reeves, the Most Feared U.S. Deputy Marshal", "Judge Paul L. Brady Retires from Job Safety Commission", "Reaves putting Kane feud aside, joining him for 'much bigger cause', "Rangers winger Ryan Reaves discovers the history behind the family name", "Was the Original 'Lone Ranger' a Black Man? Marshals Museum in Fort Smith has an impressive collection of guns and documents related to famed Deputy U.S. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8584642/bass-reeves, US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles. Arkansas native Bass Reeves was one of the first black lawmen west of the Mississippi River. To be fair, it was back when George Reeves still owned him, so he didnt have much of a choice. He also rode the Oklahoma range on a massive white stallion. When Dozier heard that Reeves was after him, he sent out word that Reeves was placing his own life in his hands. He was brought up on first-degree murder charges in January 1886 and relieved of duty. In 1910, he made his final salute. However, the ranger never drew his weapon first. Reeves and Webb had a gunfight in June 1884 near Bywaters Store, which was a stagecoach stop. The U.S. But they didnt stay there for 30 years, Spears said of the trio with Parkers Court. After tracking the notorious outlaw, Reeves captured him without much of a struggle. All were two years in age apart. In the card game Cartaventura Oklahoma, one plays the fictional escape of Bass Reeves with five possible outcomes. Reeves' health began to fail, and he died of Bright's disease (nephritis) in 1910. There is no indication of race on federal records. 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