Bass Reeves

Early life

Bass Reeves was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1838. He was named after his grandfather, Basse Washington. Bass Reeves and his family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. When Bass was eight (about 1846), William Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peters Colony. Bass Reeves may have served William Steele Reeves' son, Colonel George R. Reeves, who was a sheriff and legislator in Texas, and a one-time Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives until his death from rabies in 1882.

During the American Civil War, Bass parted company with George Reeves, perhaps "because Bass beat up George after a dispute in a card game." Bass Reeves fled north into the Indian Territory. He lived with the Cherokee, Seminole, and Creek Indians, learning their languages, until he was freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, in 1865.

As a freedman, Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. He married Nellie Jennie from Texas, with whom he had 11 children.

Career

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 Indian Territory and could speak several Indian languages. He recruited him as a deputy; Reeves was the first black deputy to serve west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was initially assigned as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, which had responsibility also for the Indian Territory.

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 Indian Territory.

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 criminals of the time, but was never wounded, despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions. Once, he had to arrest his own son for murder.

In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and pistol, Reeves developed superior detective skills during his long career. When he retired in 1907, Reeves claimed to have arrested over 3,000 felons. He is said to have shot and killed 14 outlaws to defend his own life.

One of his sons, Bennie Reeves, was charged with the murder of his wife. Deputy Marshal Reeves was disturbed and shaken by the incident, but allegedly demanded the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. Bennie was eventually tracked and captured, tried, and convicted. He served his time in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before being released and reportedly living the rest of his life as a responsible and model citizen.

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Bass Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee Police Department. He served for two years before he became ill and had to retire.

Reeves was himself once charged with murdering a posse cook. At his trial before Judge Parker, Reeves was represented by former United States Attorney W.H.H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. Reeves was acquitted.

Death

Reeves' health began to fail, and he died of Bright's disease (nephritis) in 1910. He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, who was the first black man appointed as a federal administrative law judge (in 1972).

Legacy

Print

Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves, by historian Art T. Burton, published in 2006, is the only scholarly account of Reeves' life to date.

A children's biography by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, won the 2010 Coretta Scott King Award.

Illustrator and historian Joel Christian Gill published a graphic novel in 2014 called Tales of the Talented Tenth, Volume 1, which featured Reeves' life.

Authors Ken Farmer and Buck Stienke have written five novels inspired by the exploits of Reeves: The Nations, Haunted Falls (winner of the Laramie Award for best action Western, 2013), Hell Hole, Across the Red, and Bass and the Lady.

Author Elizabeth Bear depicted Reeves in her 2015 wild-west/steampunk novel, Karen Memory.

Reeves "guest-stars" in the ninth volume of the Atomic Robo comic book series, "Atomic Robo and the Knights of the Golden Circle". The story, which takes place in 1884, features Robo, Reeves, and Doc Holliday teaming up to fight a mad scientist.

Television

"Bass Reeves: The Real Lone Ranger" is the title and subject of Legends and Lies: The Real West (2015).

"Bass Reeves - The Real Lone Ranger" is also the title and subject of Gunslingers (2015). Reeves is portrayed by Joseph Callender.

Popular speculation that Reeves was an inspiration for the fictional Lone Ranger may have originated from the 2006 Reeves biography. Burton wrote, "Bass Reeves is the closest real person to resemble the Lone Ranger". Reeves was never a Texas Ranger, however. Records of the creation of the Lone Ranger radio and television series show no evidence that Reeves was an influence.

Reeves figures prominently in an episode of How It's Made, in which a Bass Reeves limited-edition collectors' figurine is shown in various stages of the production process.

In "The Murder of Jesse James", a fictional episode of the television series Timeless season one, episode 12, Bass Reeves is portrayed by Colman Domingo.

Reeves was a featured subject of the Drunk History episode "Oklahoma" in which he was portrayed by Jaleel White.

In the television series Wynonna Earp, Reeves character appears in S02E07 episode titled "Everybody Knows" in which he was portrayed by Adrian Holmes.

Film

Bass Reeves, a 2010 fictionalized account of Reeves' life and career, stars James A. House in the titular role.

A miniseries, based on Burton's 2006 biography and co-produced by Morgan Freeman, is reportedly under development by HBO.

Wargames

Bass Reeves is a character in a miniature wargame "Wild West Exodus".