When he retired in 1907, Reeves claimed to have arrested over 3,000 felons. He grew up tending to chores and animals while his 'mammy' cooked and cleaned. 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. In 1872 the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas (which included 74,000 miles of Indian territory) established quarters in the former barracks building of Fort Smith. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith has an impressive collection of guns and documents related to famed Deputy U.S. Reeves was interviewed in 1902, and at that time he stated that he had arrested over 3,000 men and women who broke federal law in the Indian Territory. The marshal tracked him down and made him an offerand so began a whirlwind tale of adventure, courage, and cold-blooded lawmaking. Thanks for your help! He tracked two outlaws to their mothers house in the Red River Valley. The question, however, opens up an opportunity to talk about one of the best stories around: Born into slavery in Crawford County; escaped servitude during the Civil War; possibly fought for the Union with the Keetoowah Cherokees; survived dozens of gunfights riding for Judge Isaac C. Parker as one of the first black U.S. deputy marshals west of the Mississippi; acquitted of murder for the death of his cook; arrested his son, Benjamin, for shooting his wife, Castella, in a jealous rage. However, Bass Reeves certainly liked to tell a tall tale, and his descendants have since said that these claims were false. Bass was also very quick and accurate with a pistol. [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. Story was the leader of a feared gang of horse thieves who operated under the highly original name of The Tom Story Gang. For a slave to hit his master in Texas was punishable by death. Unfortunately for Reeves, this brought change to the face of law enforcement. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? One of Bass Reeves' warrants was for a notorious outlaw named Bob Dozier, who was wanted for a wide range of crimes from cattle and horse rustling, to holding up banks, stores, and stagecoaches to murder, and land swindles. In 1893, Bass Reeves was transferred to the Eastern District federal court at Paris, Texas. Two weeks later he returned to Muskogee with his son and turned him over to Marshal Bennett. [2], In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and revolver, Reeves developed superior detective skills during his long career. 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. A hard-headed judge named Isaac Parker ordered a US Marshal to find 200 deputies in Indian Territory. [5][6][7][8], Reeves and his family farmed until 1875 when Isaac Parker was appointed federal judge for the Indian Territory. http://politicalblindspot.com/the-real-lone-ranger-was-an-african-a https://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/6408028-Police-His Geni requires JavaScript! ", "Bass Reeves and The Lone Ranger: Debunking the Myth, Part 1", "Bridge to be renamed in tribute to famed lawman", "Statue of U.S. marshal to travel from Oklahoma to Arkansas Wednesday", Gunslingers, "Bass Reeves - The Real Lone Ranger", "In a New Series, 'Around the World in 80 Days' Gets More Worldly", "David Oyelowo To Star In 'Bass Reeves' Limited Series From Taylor Sheridan As Part Of Yoruba Saxon Overall Deal With ViacomCBS & MTV Entertainment Studios", "Mini About Hero Lawman Bass Reeves In Works At HBO With Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary & James Pickens Producing", "Bass Reeves Series 'Twin Territories' From Morgan Freeman's Revelations & 'Hand Of God' Creator Ben Watkins In Works At Amazon", "Amazon Studios Lands Biopic on Bass Reeves, First Black U.S. Deputy Marshal, From 'The Rider' Helmer Chlo Zhao", "U.S. Spears also agreed with the National Park Service notes that point out that although Reeves is often credited with as many as 3,000 arrests and as many as 20 outlaws killed in the name of the law, the numbers have to be used with historical caution. Kennedy said they have only been able to verify five people were killed by Reeves, including his cook, which was most likely an accident. Marshals Service also started doing these events in 2012 in conjunction with the Cherokee Nation. [1][2] He was named after his grandfather, Bass Washington. He was apparently well dressed, with spit-polished boots and a striking, wide-brimmed hat on his head. Talk about motherly love! The Fort Smith National Historic Site has a room dedicated to the history of black lawmen and local military units. The residents of the territory said he could whip any two men with his fist. Later, Bass became a body servant to the son of William Reeves, Colonel George R. He bought a small farm and married[6] Nellie Jennie. The U.S. 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. But eventually, it came time for Bass Reeves to set out on his own. 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 brought in some of the most dangerous criminals of the time, but was never wounded, despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions. After serving as a valiant marshals deputy, Reeves worked as a policeman in Muskogee for two years, 1907-1909. 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. He is believed to be buried in a small cemetery on Fern Mountain Road west of town. As usual, Reeves struck out with a posse. Topping, James H. Mershon and Jacob T. Ayers. Many claim this infamous lawmans exploits were the inspiration behind the Lone Ranger. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. The Reeves family moved to North Twelfth Street, Park Place, in 1889. [3], Later Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. The deputies covered an area of 75,000 square miles. Marshals Museum. The man overseeing the case was Judge Isaac Parker, who was technically Reeves boss. As the first Black deputy west of the Mississippi River, Reeves arrested more than . Bass Reeves was born in Crawford County, Arkansas in 1838. My goal with the next one would be that you could never have seen 1883 or Yellowstone, and still have a fully realized experience as a viewer. That next show would end up becoming 1923, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. The Three Rivers Museum in Muskogee also has several artifacts from Reeves career as a lawman. Because it was Bass's son the other deputies were reluctant to take the warrant. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. They sheltered him from lawmen who sought to return him to slavery. He handed down a hefty sentence: Life in prison. 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. Marshal credited with being the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. William Steele Reeves, a prominent citizen and politician, enslaved his family. The talented marksman and guide quickly started making a name for himself. Wasnt Bass Reeves a real guy? As a black man tasked with law enforcement in unceded, Indigenous territory, Reeves was in a precarious situation. He was never KNOWN to make a mistake. The rest of the gang disappeared, and no one ever heard from them again. He still always got his manand when they asked him to produce his warrants, he always pulled out the right one. Reeves was one of those men. In 1907, Reeves joined up with the Muskogee law enforcement office in Oklahoma, where he worked for two years. Apart from that, 1883 was largely its own show. When Reeves faced trial, he was lucky enough to know the right people. He was not the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. Probably a smart decision. 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. Many U.S. [1] Bass Reeves may have served Colonel George R. Reeves, the son of William Reeves, the owner of Bass Reeves when he was a slave. 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. Reeves couldnt stay on as a ranger forever. Bass occasionally would serve as a guide into the Indian Territory for Deputy U.S. After it became one of the most popular shows on television, Paramount greenlit a prequel miniseries titled 1883. Before Reeves could respond, the gunman shot his belt in half. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. They had 11 children: William Reeves, Edgar Reeves, Lulu Reeves, Sally Reeves, Robert Reeves, Harriet Reeves, George Reeves, Alice Mae Reeves, Newland Reeves, Benjamin Bennie Reeves and Bass Reeves Jr. Bass married Winnie Reeves in 1864, at age 26 in Arkansas, United States. So, when Reeves learned that his son was a wanted man, the lawman demanded the warrant. Reeves earned his reputation. FORT SMITH, Ark. The Legend of Bass Reeves by author Gary Paulsen is a Western written for young readers. During that era, he made one of his top arrests with the capture of the Seminole Indian fugitive known as Greenleaf in April 1890. Later, he was killed by a large federal posse in 1892, never to prove his innocence. Bass Reeves and his family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. Reeves, a deputy U.S. marshal, was one of many black law officers, sheriffs, deputies, and judges who helped keep law and order alive in the "Wild West.". As noted by the U.S. Park Service in a history of Bass Reeves, Judge Parker believed that black men would make great officers of the law in the Indian Territory, due to shared mistrust that existed between Indians and blacks toward the white man. That entry also notes that racial tensions were particularly high at the time and caused whites to feel anger toward a black man who had the power to arrest them.. From judges to supervising marshals, nobody took issue with Reevesexcept, of course, for outlaws. In 1887, Reeves had to sell his home and farm in the Catcher Community near Van Buren to pay for his first-degree murder defense with attorneys William H.H. The following is just a short sampling of Reeves police work in the 1880s. The legend of Bass Reeves will only continue to grow as more discover his story. Over an 18 year stint, Greenleaf reputedly had seven bodies on his handsand he showed no sign of backing down. A fitting end to a horrible man, George Reeves contracted rabies and passed in 1882. prisoners. Reeves, it seems, was the most famous of them all. It was later proven that Ned was not guilty of the crime. Reeves was quicker and dropped the outlaw. Reeves was an expert with pistol and rifle and could shoot ambidextrously. In 1848, George was elected tax collector, and in 1850, he was elected sheriff of Grayson County. However, the ranger never drew his weapon first. Bass Reeves: Lawman, gunslinger, trail-blazer. Bass Reeves served as a valet for his master's son during THE CIVIL WAR. Classic Gunfights: A Deadly Duel at 500 Yards. 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. [2], When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee Police Department. They arrested, without incident 15 white men and eight Black men and brought them to the federal jail in Muskogee. By all accounts, he drew quickly and never missed his mark when the time came. The Lone Ranger has appeared in thousands of radio episodes, hundreds of television episodes, hundreds of comic books, six films, and dozens of novels. 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