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. Theres only one catch: Bass Reeves is not an original character. 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.. Dave Kennedy, curator of collections and exhibits, said recently the museum is still in search of Bass Reevess descendants, the Southwest Times Record reported. Once, he walked 28 miles dressed as a beggar and fooled two men and their mother into letting him stay the night. Here from 1875 until his death in 1896, the famous "Hanging Judge," Isaac C. Parker, presided over a court, keeping peace in the lawless territory. [2][5] Reeves was initially assigned as a Deputy U.S. Of all the outlaws Reeves went after in his long career, only one ever escaped his iron grasp. As the years passed, the American government seized more and more territory. . Reeves was over six feet tall and sported a thick black handlebar mustache. Marshals. Marshals. When he retired in 1907, Reeves had on his record over 3,000 arrests of felons. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. They arrested, without incident 15 white men and eight Black men and brought them to the federal jail in Muskogee. Deputy U.S. Fortunately, it was a lucrative business. Unlike the other shows, it will not focus on a single ranch or family dynamic, but on the life of an extraordinary man who was a legend of his time. Classic Gunfights: A Deadly Duel at 500 Yards. He served 11 years at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before his sentence was commuted; he reportedly lived the rest of his life as a model citizen. His long muscular arms have attached to them a pair of hands that would do credit to a giant and they handle a revolver with the ease and grace acquired only after years of practice. Specifically fort smith where judge parkers court house is located. Bass set out for the Indian Territory and was taken in by Seminole and Creek Indians. On one occasion, the ranger was facing off with an outlaw who drew on him. 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. Bass took the warrant and bought his son in for murder shortly thereafter his son convicted and sent to Leavenworth. Reeves was furiousand he had to take his anger out on something. Dozier shot first, firing at them from a stand of trees. It did not seem accidental. 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. The round trip would be approximately 400 miles and would take one or two months, depending on high water in the rivers and creeks. Fortunately, he managed to find love again several years later. Later, Reeves was made the principal lawman for the large African American community in Muskogee, and he had several Black assistants in that role. It was probably a pleasant changebut it was not to last. 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. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. He was given the name of his owner, William Reeves. Dozier was a cattle-rustler and stagecoach bandit with a seriously bad reputation. Reeves eventually tracked Dozier down to a hideout in Cherokee territory. Her passing absolutely devastated him. Bass Reeves was born into slavery around 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas. Almost a year out from a planned opening of the new $60 million museum, it's the lawman's family tree the curator wants most. His son was eventually tracked and captured, tried and convicted. 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. Law and order in the Wild West was not a pretty thing. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. Spears said Bill Black presented the idea for a Bass Reeves statue after Spears effort for a statue of President Zachary Taylor did not get traction. This page has been accessed 17,324 times. At this point, with a downtown Fort Smith statue of Reeves erected in 2012, along with several True West Magazine stories and a 1992 induction in the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, it would be peculiar if someone asks Whos Bass Reeves?. Bass dragged his son into the courtroom himself, and the judge convicted him. Unsurprisingly, Reeves took the task without complaint. Bass Reeves was involved in the "Wild, Wild West," part of the westward expansion of the United States. He went back to work as one of the deputies of the Western District of Arkansas at Fort Smith under Judge Isaac C. Parker. Though there were over 200 deputies to choose from in Indian Territory, marshals, judges, and district courts constantly turned to Bass Reeves because they knew that he would deliver results. Introducing 'Bass Reeves,' a 'Yellowstone' Spinoff, 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Is "Gonna Be Bloody", Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Its clear at this point that the deputy tracked down and captured a huge number of outlaws. When Dozier heard that Reeves was after him, he sent out word that Reeves was placing his own life in his hands. He is believed to be buried in a small cemetery on Fern Mountain Road west of town. He retired at 70 years old and lived out his remaining time in some much-needed peace. Dozier escaped from Bass Reeves for several years until he tracked Bob Dozier down in the Cherokee Hills. Bennie was subsequently captured, tried, and convicted. The U.S. He also rode the Oklahoma range on a massive white stallion. Reeves found himself forced out. Portrayal in Film: Timeless (TV Series) S1E14 2017. Reeves was an expert with pistol and rifle and could shoot ambidextrously. The details of his sons doings were unpleasant. Despite his brutal methods, Reeves was an honorable man to his core. In 1897, he was transferred again, serving at the Muskogee Federal Court in the Native Territory. The Fort Smith Elevator reported Reeves bringing in 12 prisoners in April 1884. Wasnt Bass Reeves a real guy? (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. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. Bass severely beat George, and fled to the Indian Territory where he lived among the Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles. 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. Scandalous Facts About Hollywood Celebrities, Lawyers Reveal Their Most Jaw-Dropping Court Cases, Extravagant Facts About Josephine Baker, The Black Pearl of Paris, Couldnt Pay Me To Go Back: Absolutely Wild Stories Of High School Drama, Catherine The Great Was a Mighty EmpressUntil Her Brutal Downfall, These Mortifying Mistakes Make Us Want To Hit Undo. As usual, Reeves confronted Story directly. The Arkansas Gazette in September 1884 re-ported Reeves brought 15 prisoners to Fort Smith. FORT SMITH, Ark. 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. Marshal James Fagan was replaced not long after Judge Parker took over the court with a Union veteran, Daniel P. Upham. An article suggests that Bass Reeves may have been the inspiration for the "Lone Ranger" --. [3] During the American Civil War, Bass parted company with George Reeves. Bass Reeves, a former slave, fiercely defended the Old West during his 32-year tenure as deputy U.S. marshal. He said he took part in the Battle of Pea Ridge, the Battle of Missionary Ridge, and the Battle of Chickamauga. But eventually, it came time for Bass Reeves to set out on his own. Harmons 1898 book Hell on the Border. However, as early as 1901 writer D.C. Gideon detailed Reeves in his book Indian Territory., Among the numerous deputy marshals that have ridden for the Paris (Texas), Fort Smith (Arkansas) and Indian Territory courts none have met with more hairbreadth escapes or have affected more hazardous arrests than Bass Reeves, of Muskogee, Gideon writes. The Legend of Bass Reeves by author Gary Paulsen is a Western written for young readers. 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. Finally, it came time to bring him down. 1883: The Bass Reeves Story will be so different as it will focus on the historical figure Bass Reeves, an enslaved man turned U.S. Bass won many turkey shoots for his master, which in Texas was prestigious for George. Reeves unemployment did not last long because, at the start of the new year in 1908, he was hired as a Muskogee city policeman and given a beat downtown. Sadly, Reeves beloved wife, Nellie Jennie, passed in Fort Smith in 1896. Interest was, With a budget of $250 million, this summers Disney movie, The Lone Ranger, will be. He married a woman named Nellie Jennie, and they must have been really into each other. They would later have 11 children in the household. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. When Reeves drew his warrant, Story drew his Coltbig mistake. 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. After he died the [16] Muskogee Phoenix wrote of the legendary lawman, In the history of the early days of Eastern Oklahoma the name of Bass Reeves has a place in the front rank among those who cleansed out the old Indian Territory of outlaws and desperadoes. 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. Typically, local posses accompanied Reeves on his expeditions and stakeouts. Unlike most of his African-American brothers, REEVES was treated with respect and his legend, even as just a U.S. Reeves and Webb had a gunfight in June 1884 near Bywaters Store, which was a stagecoach stop. We want our readers to trust us. Marshal. Reeves and his companion avoided the first flurry of bullets, and the sound of the laughter pinpointed Doziers location. Bass accepted the responsibility for finding his son. 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. This was his first taste of work with the US government in an official capacity. At the age of 67, Bass Reeves retired from federal service at Oklahoma statehood in 1907. After it became one of the most popular shows on television, Paramount greenlit a prequel miniseries titled 1883. [14] He died January 12, 1910 from Bright's disease and although he was buried in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the exact location of his grave is unknown.[15]. He was a real-life gunslinger and lawman who lived from 1838 to 1910, and he was said to have recorded over 3,000 arrests during his lifetime. A little boy sits transfixed in a movie theater as Reeves brings a crooked white sheriff to justice. Bass Reeves: Lawman, gunslinger, trail-blazer. 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. The legend of Bass Reeves will only continue to grow as more discover his story. In total, he found at least twelve cards posted promising his demise. [2][5] Reeves was assigned as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, which had responsibility also for the Native reservation Territory. Two weeks later he returned to Muskogee with his son and turned him over to Marshal Bennett. Topping, James H. Mershon and Jacob T. Ayers. Were always looking for your input! Bass Reeves delivered two prisoners to U.S. Not too many years before, he was the target of law enforcement officials himself. [5] Reeves had to arrest his own son for murder;[2] Benjamin "Bennie" Reeves was charged with the murder of his own wife. Apart from that, 1883 was largely its own show. "Some say because Bass beat up George after a dispute in a card game. Its no wonder he had such a tough reputation among outlaws and lawmen alike. During a game of cards with his owner, Reeves won, which caused his owner to beat him. [2], When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee, Oklahoma police department. Reeves was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1838. Reeves is featured in the opening scene of HBO's award-winning series, Watchmen. And he got his man as often as any of the deputies. 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. Reeves deputization made history. "The recent collection of Bass Reeves' prized guns from one of his descendants is incredible for the museum. The deputies covered an area of 75,000 square miles. 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