Bass Reeves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 1838 |
| Died | January 12, 1910 (aged 71) Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, rancher, railroad agent, tracker, scout, interpreter, deputy United States Marshal, policeman. |
| Years active | 35 years as a law enforcement officer. |
| Known for | 4,000 arrests |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) at age 30 |
| Opponents |
|
| Spouses | Jennie Haynes
(m. 1864; died 1896)Winnie Sumter (m. 1900) |
| Children | 11 |
| Police career | |
| Country | United States Government |
| Branch | Deputy U.S. Marshal |
| Service years | 1875–1910 |
| Rank | Deputy |
| Other work | MPD Police Officer |
Bass Reeves (July 1838 – January 12, 1910) was a runaway slave, gunfighter, farmer, scout, tracker, railroad agent, and deputy U.S. Marshal. He spoke the languages of several Native American tribes including Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole and Creek. Bass was one of the first African-American Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, mostly working in the deadly Indian Territory. The region was saturated with horse thieves, cattle rustlers, gunslingers, bandits, bootleggers, swindlers, and murderers. Reeves made up to 4,000 arrests in his lifetime, killing twenty men in the line of duty.[1][2]
Reeves was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas. His family were slaves belonging to Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. During the American Civil War, his owners fought for the Confederacy. At some point, Reeves escaped and fled to Indian Territory, where he learned American Indian languages and customs, as well as tracking and survival skills. He eventually became a farmer and rancher. By 1875, Reeves was hired as a deputy U.S. Marshal along with other individuals. He was 37 years old. Reeves was well acquainted with the Indian Territory and served there for over 32 years as a peace officer, covering over 75,000 square miles in what is now Oklahoma. He was involved in several tragedies during his lifetime. He accidentally shot his cook, William Leach, which led to the court case United States vs. Bass Reeves, for which he was acquitted. His first wife Jennie died in 1896, and in 1902 he had to arrest his son Benjamin "Bennie" Reeves, who was charged with murdering his wife, Castella Brown. Bennie was convicted and found guilty by a jury on January 22, 1903, in Muskogee. The presiding judge was C. W. Raymond. Bennie was sentenced to the U.S. prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for his natural life.[3] Bennie was released after eleven years in prison, and lived out the rest of his life as a model citizen.[4][5][a]
Reeves encountered some of the most ruthless outlaws of his day. His weapons of choice were the Winchester models 1873 and 1892. They were guns that conveniently fit dual-purpose handgun/rifle cartridges. He also briefly used the 1873 Colt Single Action .45 caliber Peacemaker.[6] He tracked and killed notorious outlaw Jim Webb, who had murdered over eleven people.[7] Another notorious desperado Reeves encountered was murderer and horse thief Wiley Bear. Reeves rounded him up along with his gang, which included John Simmons and Sam Lasly. Reeves was in a gunfight with the Creek desperado Frank Buck, whom he shot and killed.[3] Reeves was immortalized in popular media, including TV shows, films, novels, poems, and books. He was also inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame.[8] A bronze statue of Reeves was erected in Pendergraft Park in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge in Oklahoma was named after the legendary lawman.[9]
- ^ Art T. Burton (April 10, 2015). "Bass Reeves". Fort Smith, Arkansas: National Park Service. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Burton 2006, pp. 21–22.
- ^ a b Thompson 2023, p. 34.
- ^ "The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". okhistory.org. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Encyclopedia Britannica". britannica.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Jim Wilson (February 12, 2015). "Frontier Lawman: Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves". americanrifleman.org/. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux (2013). Bad News for Outlaws The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Group. pp. intro. ISBN 9781467737593.
- ^ "Texas Trail of Fame". texastrailoffame.org. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Art T. Burton (November 17, 2023). "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
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