Finding out who Bass Reeves was this week was a black
history gem. A man from the wild west times of the mid 1800’s, people connected
him to being the “real” lone ranger…..but we wasn’t that. Instead he became one
of those stories of our past, replaced by the American west. You start watching
these bios that are out on the net about him, and feel a way. Creating the
notion that we got played on the information, we were supposed to be taught in
school. Let’s talk about this African American man who arrested more than 3,000
people without receiving not one gun wound.
Born July 1838 in Arkansas, he was the first black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. He was born into slavery as his family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator Williams Steele Reeves.The first name Bass came from his grandfather Bass Washington. Bass lived life as a slave, serving Reeve’s son, who was a sheriff and legislator in Texas. Yet beyond growing up in this environment created this no-nonsense attitude with the skill sets to get all things done. He won the west on his own. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory.It sort of began when Bass became a part of the Confederate Army, because he had to with his owner George Reeves commitment in Texas. That set his freedom off as it’s not fully known what happen, but something did. Whether he just fled to Indian territory in Oklahoma, or he beat his owner up over a card game and got away. Bass got with the Indians, learned their languages and began to understand what freedom could start to feel like. He stayed with Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles until the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, in 1865.
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.
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 life.
Once, he had to arrest his own son for murder. 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.
His story continues as people to this day, try to relive the stories of the wild west. It's just a shame that American history writers never included him when marketing the names of the west we know today.
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