bass reeves living descendants
After tracking the notorious outlaw, Reeves captured him without much of a struggle. They would later have 11 children in the household. In 1864 he married Nellie Jennie (d. 1896) and after her death Winnie Sumter (19001910). Despite his brutal methods, Reeves was an honorable man to his core. Dozier escaped from Bass Reeves for several years until he tracked Bob Dozier down in the Cherokee Hills. He handed down a hefty sentence: Life in prison. But they didnt stay there for 30 years, Spears said of the trio with Parkers Court. He still always got his manand when they asked him to produce his warrants, he always pulled out the right one. [5] He married Nellie Jennie from Texas, with whom he had ten children, five boys and five girls. In fact, the Oklahoma City Weekly Times Journal once reported that Reeves was never known to show the slightest excitement, under any circumstance. By all accounts, he drew quickly and never missed his mark when the time came. [12] Ryan Reaves's grandfather changed the family name from Reeves to Reaves. Reeves became known in the early 1880s for bringing prisoners back to the Fort Smith court in double digits. Marshal. He was so good, in fact, that he was regularly banned from participating in competitive turkey shoots, a popular pastime in the West. Art T. Burton, a retired college history professor, has written four critically acclaimed history books on the American Western frontier. One day, a posse cook caught a bullet from Reeves trusty Colt while the lawman was cleaning it. It was the last thing he ever did. 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. Once And For All, Is The Lone Ranger Based on Bass Reeves? Fortunately, he managed to find love again several years later. (Reference unknown). In 1893, Bass Reeves was transferred to the Eastern District federal court at Paris, Texas. The following is just a short sampling of Reeves police work in the 1880s. He caught over 3000 criminals in his career. 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. When he retired in 1907, Reeves had on his record over 3,000 arrests of felons. Well, when Sheridan finished 1883, producers over at the Paramount Network were mighty angry that he wrote it so that there couldnt be a second season. [5] He was an uncle of Paul L. Brady, the first African-American appointed a Federal Administrative Law Judge (in 1972). Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. 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 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. The Northern District was made up of the Cherokee, Creek and Seminole Nations. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, Reeves made it through his career entirely unscathed. Marshal, he arrested 3,000 outlaws and killed 14 men. As a black man tasked with law enforcement in unceded, Indigenous territory, Reeves was in a precarious situation. [2][5] He is said to have shot and killed fourteen outlaws to defend his own life. Research shows that Reeves stayed in Fort Smith until 1893. So harsh, in fact, that he was given the nickname The Hanging Judge. The reason for this nickname isnt difficult to riddle out. 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. Bass Reeves, a former slave, fiercely defended the Old West during his 32-year tenure as deputy U.S. marshal. Over his long career as a lawman, the mustachioed slinger racked up a body count of 14 men. 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. Picture this on horseback, with a leather saddle and stiff boots. Later, Bass became a body servant to the son of William Reeves, Colonel George R. For this reason, Reeves found unusual support from the inhabitants of the land he patrolled during his career. Moreso, they knew that he would get the job done cleanly and fairly. Hold your horses though, because theres no official release date for Bass Reeves just yet. Apart from that, 1883 was largely its own show. Sometime after moving to Texas, Bass became a valet/body servant to William S. Reeves son, George R. Reeves. Until just a few years ago, it was more likely that only readers steeped in the lore of the west or Parkers court knew much about the deep-voiced man who sang softly before going into a gunfight. This was his first taste of work with the US government in an official capacity. Brother of UFN Washington and Jane Reeves, Bass Reeves was born into slavery in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas. The St. Louis Globe Democrat in February 1884 reported Reeves bringing in 12 prisoners to Fort Smith. Though he successfully caught the outlaws, Reeves did not escape from his infiltration unscathed. It didnt take a genius to get to the bottom of this one. We want our readers to trust us. Reeves son, Benjamin Reeves, strayed from the family tree and ran into serious trouble with the law. Well, as a deputy in Indian Territory, Bass Reeves rode his horse from Fort Smith to Fort Renoa distance of 800 mileson more than one occasion. He recruited Bass Reeves as one of his deputies because of his knowledge of the territory and tribes. 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. [2] His family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. Anything that could get him closer to his quarry. The owner allowed Bass to use guns to hunt and learned that he was a crack shot. But for a man whose true story rivals Wild. All Rights Reserved. [8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Reeves). [3], As a freedman, Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. Bass Reeves was commissioned in late 1875 as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Fort Smith federal court. 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. As Sheridan recently told Deadline, they wanted to hold a meeting to discuss how certain characters may have survived their deaths, so Sheridan worked up another peek into the window instead. by Art T. Burton | Jan 25, 2021 | Features & Gunfights, This is the best known photograph of Deputy U.S. In 1897, he was transferred again, serving at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Native Territory. Reeves spent 30 years in the perilous job of a deputy U.S. marshal in Oklahoma's Indian Territory. After it became one of the most popular shows on television, Paramount greenlit a prequel miniseries titled 1883. Even with air conditioning, rest stops, gas station snacks, and aux cords, an 800-mile road trip is a serious undertaking. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Art T. Burton AFRICAN AMERICANS, RUFUS CANNON, FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT FOR WESTERN ARKANSAS, ROBERT L. FORTUNE, FREEDMEN, INDIAN TERRITORY, GRANT JOHNSON, ZEKE MILLER, ISAAC CHARLES PARKER, SEGREGATION Reeves didn't just take it, though. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. At his death, several newspapers, in and out of state, stated he had killed more than 20 men in the line of duty. Marshals Museum: The museum loves to talk to the descendants of historic Marshals and Deputies and we receive. But what made him one of the best in the West was his smarts. Marshal Bass Reeves. Despite being disturbed and deeply shaken by the incident, Reeves nonetheless insisted on the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. (AP) The U.S. Bass accepted the responsibility for finding his son. Reeves worked hard. He also rode the Oklahoma range on a massive white stallion. Bass Reeves said the largest haul he made while working for the Fort Smith court was bringing in 19 horse thieves from the Fort Sill area. He served his time in Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas before being released and living the rest of his life as a responsible and model citizen. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Indian Territory and could speak several Indian languages. A crack shot, he won 14 shoot-outs with men who all drew on him first without suffering a single wound. [3], Later Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. Federal Judge Paul Brady and his wife Xernona were in Fort Smith on Monday (April 11) to donate a gun, U.S. Though he had a hard reputation, Reeves was, by all accounts, a mild-mannered and polite man. After a citizens petition and an exemplary prison record, his son was pardoned and was never in trouble with the law again. 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. Bass Reeves (2010 Video), Ponderous Productions, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Comedic Facts About Red Skelton, The Kookiest Clown Around, Glamorous Facts About The Countess Of Castiglione, The First Model, Sensational Facts About Louella Parsons, The Queen Of Hollywood Gossip, Extravagant Facts About Mohammad Reza, The Doomed Shah. Reeves was headquartered at Calvin in the Choctaw Nation and carried many of his prisoners to the federal commissioner at Pauls Valley in the Chickasaw Nation. A hard-headed judge named Isaac Parker ordered a US Marshal to find 200 deputies in Indian Territory. In fact, his personality was so warm that it comes up in countless contemporary sources detailing his many adventures and arrests. Later, Reeves was made the principal lawman for the large African American community in Muskogee, and he had several Black assistants in that role. Her passing absolutely devastated him. Bass Reeves is often called the 'greatest frontier hero in American history.' He was the first Black Deputy U.S. He said he took part in the Battle of Pea Ridge, the Battle of Missionary Ridge, and the Battle of Chickamauga. Joined by an ex Union Sharpshooter, they are in a race against time as they track Jack Donner and his vicious gang of killers to the oil-rich Texas town of Corsicana. (Fort Smith National Historic Site. In 1907, Reeves joined up with the Muskogee law enforcement office in Oklahoma, where he worked for two years. Portrayal in Film: Timeless (TV Series) S1E14 2017. He was brought up on first-degree murder charges in January 1886 and relieved of duty. Webb had earlier killed a Black farmer who accidently burned some grazing land on the Washington Ranch. 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. [1] He was one of the first African Americans to receive a commission as a Deputy U.S. Western Books: An Officer of Honor and Grit, Ask the Marshall Bat Masterson: Armed and Dangerous, Lincoln: Prepare Ye the Way for the Horde. Good job on the profile!! Marshal Bass Reeves featured in new Netflix film", "Isaiah Washington To Mark Feature Directorial Debut With 'Corsicana' Western", "2019 National Black Theatre Festival Brochure", Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bass_Reeves&oldid=1140977007, Historian Art Burton has said that Reeves was the inspiration for the character of the, In May 2012, a bronze statue of Reeves by Oklahoma sculptor Harold Holden was erected in Pendergraft Park in, Reeves is the subject of the season two episode four of, Reeves figures prominently in an episode of, In "The Murder of Jesse James", an episode of the television series, In "Everybody Knows", a season two episode of the television series, Reeves is mentioned in the plot of "The Royal Family", a season two episode of the television series, Reeves' status as one of the first black sheriffs plays a significant role as a childhood role model for the character of Will Reeves in the, Reeves is mentioned in season 3 episode 2 of the television series, Reeves features in the "Stressed Western" episode of, A miniseries based on Burton's 2006 biography (and co-produced by. Word of the relationship somehow got out. A man could make a lot of money at itand Reeves was one of the best in the biz. U.S. Reeves methods of enforcement were somewhat unorthodox. Many lawmen had tried to apprehend the outlaw, but none were successful until it came to Reeves. Reeves was eventually believed and acquitted, possibly based on his exceptional record. https://www.history.com/news/bass-reeves-real-lone-ranger-a-black-man?fbclid=IwAR0asILqInym_qDhFQ6IT9BbdE2dGdj4VPwfbV8ZARrW8OvilyOg9M-8zos, Categories: Crawford County, Arkansas, Slaves | American Heroes | Crawford County, Arkansas | Fort Smith, Arkansas | US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles | Wild Wild West | African-American Notables | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. 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. Marshals who rode for Parker have received fame over the years: Paden Tolbert bringing in Ned Christie, for example. (http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/videos/the-lone-ranger-was-real-and-he ), Bass Reeves also knew a thing or two about laying down the law. The upcoming series, seemingly based on a true story, will star David Oyelowo and Dennis Quaid. Nellie was the mother of all 10 of his children. At others, he took on the guise of an outlaw. Dozier was a cattle-rustler and stagecoach bandit with a seriously bad reputation. Spears is now leading an effort to erect a bronze statue of Judge Parker downtown. After that, Reeves had little choice but to flee his bondage and ride off into the sunset in search of a life as a free man. Reeves, it seems, was the most famous of them all. Reeves and Webb had a gunfight in June 1884 near Bywaters Store, which was a stagecoach stop. In 1855, George was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from Grayson County. Information from: Southwest Times Record, http://www.swtimes.com/, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 14 were shot in self-defense. Reeves shot Webb with his Winchester at 500 yards after Webb narrowly missed him several times. Marshal, directing him to hire 200 Deputy U.S. He was not the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. When the amendment passed, he moved to Arkansas and became a small-time farmer. Reeves was over six feet tall and sported a thick black handlebar mustache. Bass was also taught tactics of disguise in riding horses and stealth in combat. He also learned tracking and other skills from the different Indian tribes. Marshals Museum. 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.. In 1871, the federal court and jail were moved to nearby Fort Smith. As it turns out, the time to draw seemed to come up a lot. Dozier shot first, firing at them from a stand of trees. Police departments and state agencies took over, meaning that marshals and deputies lost their authority. The men with a $5,000 bounty on their heads woke up in handcuffs. In 1848, George was elected tax collector, and in 1850, he was elected sheriff of Grayson County. On November 17, 1907, Indian Territory became the new state of Oklahoma. "The recent collection of Bass Reeves' prized guns from one of his descendants is incredible for the museum. After 1900, Muskogee had city police, with two deputy U.S. marshals stationed there, Bass Reeves and a white man David Adams. His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice. The Fort Smith Elevator reported Reeves bringing in 12 prisoners in April 1884. 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