Bass Reeves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 1838 |
| Died | January 12, 1910 (aged 71) Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Known for | 3,000 Arrests |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) at age 30 |
| Opponents |
|
| Spouses | Nellie Jennie
(m. 1864; died 1896)Winnie Sumter (m. 1900) |
| Children | 11 |
| Police career | |
| Country | United States Government |
| Branch | 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, Union soldier, gunfighter, farmer, scout, tracker, and deputy U.S. Marshall. He spoke several languages including Cherokee and Creek. Bass was one of the first African-American deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River mostly working in the rough Indian Territory. The region was saturated with horse thieves, cattle rustlers, gunslingers, bandits, swindlers, and murderers. Bass made more than 3,000 arrests in his lifetime only killing fourteen men in the line of duty.[1][2]
Bass 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, Bass escaped and fled to Indian country where he learned American Indian languages, customs, and tracking skills. He eventually became a farmer. By 1875, Bass was hired as a deputy U.S. Marshall along with 200 other individuals. He was 37 years old. Bass was well acquainted with the Indian territory and served on their land for over 32 years as a peace officer covering over 75,000 square miles, presently known as Oklahoma. He was a victim of several tragedies during his lifetime. He accidentally shot a man which led to the court case United States vs. Bass Reeves for which he was acquitted, his first wife Nellie Jennie died in 1896 and he had to arrest his son Benjamin "Bennie" Reeves who was charged with murder.[3] His son was released after eleven years in prison and lived out the rest of his life as a model citizen.[4][5][a]
Bass 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 Colt 45 peacemaker.[6] He tracked and killed notorious outlaw Jim Webb. Webb murdered over eleven people.[7] Another notorious desperado Bass encountered was murderer and horse thief Wiley Bear. Bass rounded him up along with his gang which included John Simmons and Sam Lasly. Bass was also in a gunfight with the Creek desperado Frank Buck whom he shot and killed.[3] Bass was immortalized in the 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]
Reeves was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1838.[10][11] He was named after his grandfather, Bass Washington. Reeves and his family were enslaved by Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves.[10] When Bass was eight (about 1846), William Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peters Colony.[10] It appears plausible that Reeves was retained as a servant by William Steele Reeves's son, Colonel George R. Reeves, a Texan sheriff, legislator, and one-time Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.[12]
When the American Civil War began, George Reeves joined the Confederate States Army, taking Bass with him. According to the Reeves family, at some time between 1861 and 1862 he attacked George Reeves following an argument during a poker card game and escaped to Indian Territory which is now Kansas and Oklahoma and once there he became acquainted with the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole, learning their customs, languages, and tracking skills.[4][5][13] The Emancipation Proclamation gave Reeves his freedom and as a freedman, Reeves returned to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren.[8][14][15][16][17]
Reeves and his family farmed until 1875 when Isaac Parker was appointed federal judge for the Indian Territory. Parker appointed James F. Fagan as U.S. marshal, directing him to hire 200 deputy U.S. marshals. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Territory and could speak several Native languages.[14] He recruited him as a deputy; Reeves, age 37, was the first Black deputy to serve west of the Mississippi River.[11][14] Reeves was assigned as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, which had responsibility also for the Native reservation Territory.[18] He served there until 1893. That year he transferred to the Eastern District of Texas in Paris, Texas, for a short while. In 1897, he was transferred again, serving at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Native Territory.[18]
Reeves worked for 32 years as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory and became one of Judge Parker's most valued deputies. 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.[11]
In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and revolver, Reeves developed superior detective skills during his long career. When he retired in 1907, Reeves had on his record thousands of arrests of felons, some accounts claiming over 3,000.[11][14] According to his obituary, he killed 14 outlaws to defend his life.[14] Reeves even had to arrest his son for murder;[11] Benjamin "Bennie" Reeves was charged with the murder of his wife. Despite the perpetrator being his son, Reeves nonetheless insisted on the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. Accounts of the incident report that Bennie was captured by his father or turned himself in. He was ultimately tried and convicted, serving 11 years at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before his sentence was commuted; he reportedly lived the rest of his life as a model citizen.[11]
When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee Police Department.[11] He served for two years before he became ill and retired.[14]
Reeves was himself once charged with murdering a posse cook. 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. Reeves was eventually believed and acquitted, possibly based on his exceptional record.[19]
Reeves' health began to fail further after retiring. He died of Bright's disease (nephritis) on January 12, 1910.[14]
Reeves was married twice and had eleven children. In 1864 he married Nellie Jennie (d. 1896) and after her death Winnie Sumter (1900–1910). His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice.[14][15][16][17]
He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, who became the first Black man appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972.[20]
His great-great-grandson is former National Football League and Canadian Football League player Willard Reaves, while his great-great-great-grandsons are National Hockey League player Ryan Reaves and CFL player Jordan Reaves.[21] Ryan Reaves's grandfather changed the family name from Reeves to Reaves.[22][23] This claim has not been verified by historians and/or genealogists.
