Ironically, Reeves was brought up on first-degree murder charges, not manslaughter or criminal negligence, after a new U.S. marshal was hired, the first former Confederate officer Reeves would work for. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Reeves didnt just take it, though. According to Art Burton, a well-respected historian, Bass Reeves is the inspiration for the Lone Ranger, a fictional Texas Ranger who has become one of the most recognizable cultural icons in American history. prisoners. Reeves was born into captivity in 1838. At this time Bass was married to his wife, Jennie, who was also from Texas, and they had four children. When Bass was eight, the Reeves family moved to northern Texas to Peters Colony in Grayson County near Sherman, Texas. Arkansas native Bass Reeves was one of the first black lawmen west of the Mississippi River. Reeves son, Benjamin Reeves, strayed from the family tree and ran into serious trouble with the law. Reeves shot Webb with his Winchester at 500 yards after Webb narrowly missed him several times. Bass started as a water boy until he was old enough to become a field hand like his parents. 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. The Legend of Bass Reeves by author Gary Paulsen is a Western written for young readers. Fortunately, he had another useful skill. 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. One of the most infamous men in Indian Territory went by the name Greenleaf. Bennie was jealous, angry, and violent. Taken by his owner, George Reeves, to join the Civil War. He was hired as a city policeman in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he served for about two years. In the late 1870s and early 1880s, most guards, turnkeys, cooks and bailiffs for the Fort Smith federal court were African Americans. .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}Celebrities Who Voice Cartoon Characters, 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 is About to Commence, The Underworld Crossover of the Century Is Coming. Bass was also very quick and accurate with a pistol. Probably a smart decision. They ended up having a whopping ten childrenfive boys and five girls. 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. This troubled his mother greatly as she thought he wanted to be an outlaw. On one occasion, the ranger was facing off with an outlaw who drew on him. It should be no surprise, then, that Parker had a soft spot for Reeves. 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. Legend has it that Reeves ended up getting into a serious confrontation with his master over a card game in 1861. Reeves was quicker and dropped the outlaw. Picture this on horseback, with a leather saddle and stiff boots. Just one grandparent can lead you to many His owners, the William S. Reeves family, moved to Grayson County, Texas, in 1846. Over his long career as a lawman, the mustachioed slinger racked up a body count of 14 men. Their names are listed side by side with other Deputy U.S. Classic Gunfights: A Deadly Duel at 500 Yards. Bass Reeves is a part of US Black history. He also rode the Oklahoma range on a massive white stallion. He married a woman named Nellie Jennie, and they must have been really into each other. Reeves eventually tracked Dozier down to a hideout in Cherokee territory. Neither man backed down. Enter a grandparent's name. His son was eventually tracked and captured, tried and convicted. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. However, the ranger never drew his weapon first. Have you taken a DNA test? He still always got his manand when they asked him to produce his warrants, he always pulled out the right one. Dave Kennedy, curator of collections and exhibits, said recently the museum is still in search of Bass Reevess descendants, the Southwest Times Record reported. Marshal west of the Mississippi river, who served in the Oklahoma and Arkansas territory in the mid-1800s and early 1900s. He tracked two outlaws to their mothers house in the Red River Valley. Many lawmen had tried to apprehend the outlaw, but none were successful until it came to Reeves. (Fort Smith National Historic Site. There is a monument dedicated to him. The marshal tracked him down and made him an offerand so began a whirlwind tale of adventure, courage, and cold-blooded lawmaking. Was Wyatt Earp Really a Deputy U.S. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Indian Territory and could speak several Indian languages. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Reeves was over six feet tall and sported a thick black handlebar mustache. Reeves did one thing, and he did it very well: He tracked down outlaws on the lam. The round trip would be approximately 400 miles and would take one or two months, depending on high water in the rivers and creeks. Typically, local posses accompanied Reeves on his expeditions and stakeouts. In 1909, the tough lawman finally came across an enemy that he couldnt best: Brights Disease. Moreso, they knew that he would get the job done cleanly and fairly. There was a movie made in his honor. The Arkansas Gazette in September 1884 re-ported Reeves brought 15 prisoners to Fort Smith. Bass severely beat George, and fled to the Indian Territory where he lived among the Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles. During that time he was sent to arrest some of the most desperate characters that ever infested Indian Territory and endangered life and peace in its borders. Reeves couldnt stay on as a ranger forever. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Territory and could speak several Native languages. 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. Answer (1 of 6): I am just glancing at census records after first reading about Bass Reeves on Wikipedia, but it looks to me like he married Winnie Summer about 1899-1900, when he was around 59 and she was around 38, and that his children and hers were both from previous marriages. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Reeves and his posse burned Christies home to the ground. Bass Reeves was born a slave. Son of NN Reeves and Pearlalee Reeves Leave a message for others who see this profile. Bass went with George into the war, serving as his body servant. But theres one last twist in this story: Bennie received a pardon in 1914. In 1897 he was transferred to the Muskogee Federal Court. Bass Reeves served as a valet for his masters son during THE CIVIL WAR. If you didnt think the .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}Yellowstone extended universe of shows could get any more confusing, well, youd lose that bet today. Reeves earned his reputation. Tom Wing, history professor with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, feels that Reeves was so well respected by local lawmen that he was offered a light duty job with the Muskogee Police Department. Thought to have been born in the summer of 1838, by the year 1880, Bass and Jennie Reeves had eight children: Sally, Robert, Harriet, Georgia, Alice, Newland, Edgar and Lula. The new deputy must have been an unmistakable figure in the Old West. After tracking the notorious outlaw, Reeves captured him without much of a struggle. Were always looking for your input! 14 were shot in self-defense. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Its probably fair to say that Bass himself wasnt too broken up when he heard the news. He thought hed hit his mark and he burst out in laughter. He only had one man with him, but Bass Reeves didnt need much help. This page has been accessed 17,324 times. 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. It looked like his luck was finally beginning to turnand more good fortune was on the horizon. Reeves would take on any job, no matter how dangerous, so it didnt surprise anyone when he took on an arrest warrant for Tom Story. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, July 1838 - Crawford County, United States, Ozoliiiulsioii Co., ; IS Pearl at., New York. Bass took the warrant and bought his son in for murder shortly thereafter his son convicted and sent to Leavenworth. Bass Reeves was one of the greatest peace officers in the history of the American western frontier. (AP) The U.S. Starring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, 1883 depicted the first Dutton family members to travel the Oregon Trail and settle in Montana, where the Yellowstone Ranch is set in the series. 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.". 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. In 1893, Bass Reeves was transferred to the Eastern District federal court at Paris, Texas. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Bass Reeves, the gunslinging lawman, left a serious legacy behind. Fortunately, he managed to find love again several years later. Since birth, he had witnessed the deepest and darkest parts of humanity. Reeves was one tough lawman, but apparently, his boss was even tougher. At others, he took on the guise of an outlaw. "Some say because Bass beat up George after a dispute in a card game. 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. The Fort Smith National Historic Site has a room dedicated to the history of black lawmen and local military units. The owner allowed Bass to use guns to hunt and learned that he was a crack shot. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Such a dark beginning really sets the stage for the twisted tale of law and violence that followed. Judge Parkers orders were to bring them in dead or alive. 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.. The deputy lawman found himself on the wrong side of the law in 1887. Marshals who rode for Parker have received fame over the years: Paden Tolbert bringing in Ned Christie, for example. Some say the Quentin Tarantino movie, Django, was based on his life.[17]. Specifically fort smith where judge parkers court house is located. It sat on his desk for two days while he decided what to do. However, he didnt retire just yet. 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. Bass Reeves began his life as a slave in the state of Arkansas in July 1838, near the town of Van Buren. [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. 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. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8584642/bass-reeves, US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles. Good job on the profile!! But for a man whose true story rivals Wild. Reeves reputation quickly spread across the West. He was so good, in fact, that he was regularly banned from participating in competitive turkey shoots, a popular pastime in the West. When Dozier heard that Reeves was after him, he sent out word that Reeves was placing his own life in his hands. [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. These are just a few of the incredible stories of a man who hunted down men nobody else could capture. 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