The Arkansas Gazette in September 1884 re-ported Reeves brought 15 prisoners to Fort Smith. 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. Over a thirty-year career, he faced some of the most feared men in America. [5], Reeves was married twice and had eleven children. During the Civil War . Whatever the precise details of his flight, certain facts are crystal clear: Between 1861 and 1862, as the country was in the throes of the Civil War (take a wild guess as to which side Colonel George Reeves was on), Reeves escaped from his enslavement and became a free man of his own accord. His family was owned by the prosperous and politically well-connected family of William Reeves, an early Arkansas legislator . 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. 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. He proved this ability time and time again by holstering Colts on both sides. He died of Bright's disease (nephritis) on January 12, 1910. At others, he took on the guise of an outlaw. The going rate was more than $1,000 for bounties. I dont think of any of these as spinoffs, but rather as complete stories that have common roots, Sheridan told Deadline about 1883. Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves reunites with his former partner turned fugitive Sam Tanner. Reeves was an expert with pistol and rifle and could shoot ambidextrously. George also happened to be the towns sheriff. Marshals. When Reeves located the cabin of Christie in the Cherokee Nation, his posse burned it down, but Ned escaped capture and death. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. 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. Is it a sequel to a prequel? Reeves couldnt stay on as a ranger forever. Its a sequel to a prequel (of sorts), but it can still be viewed and enjoyed separate from Yellowstone. [1] Bass Reeves may have served Colonel George R. Reeves, the son of William Reeves, the owner of Bass Reeves when he was a slave. One of Bass Reeves' warrants was for a notorious outlaw named Bob Dozier, who was wanted for a wide range of crimes from cattle and horse rustling, to holding up banks, stores, and stagecoaches to murder, and land swindles. The Lone Ranger was very real, but he was not the white man seen on movies and TV. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. When those old gunfighters are sittin around up there in Valhalla discussing who was the, The real law-and-order heros long and Winding road to cinematic and television fame. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. 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. Yellowstone, set in the present day, follows the Dutton family as they try to protect the largest ranch in the United States from hedge funds and governmental bodies looking to take their generational land away from them. Spears also agreed with the National Park Service notes that point out that although Reeves is often credited with as many as 3,000 arrests and as many as 20 outlaws killed in the name of the law, the numbers have to be used with historical caution. Kennedy said they have only been able to verify five people were killed by Reeves, including his cook, which was most likely an accident. Sebastian County Circuit Judge Jim Spears, now retired, is credited with leading an effort to prominently enshrine the folk hero in bronze. Im sitting here going, Guys, everyone is dead. 1883: The Bass Reeves Story will be another peek inside that era. Reeves was 58 years old at the time. Who Is John Dutton's Grandfather in '1923'? He went back to work as one of the deputies of the Western District of Arkansas at Fort Smith under Judge Isaac C. Parker. However, the ranger never drew his weapon first. He served for two years, in that time there were no crimes on his beat. A hard-headed judge named Isaac Parker ordered a US Marshal to find 200 deputies in Indian Territory. Specifically fort smith where judge parkers court house is located. Topping, James H. Mershon and Jacob T. Ayers. The same newspaper in March of 1885 reported Reeves bringing in 13 prisoners. We may never know exactly how many black men served as Deputy U.S. Marshals, a placard at the Historic Site reads. From the shackles of slavery to the US Marshals Service, Reeves lived a life of conflict, excitement, and heartbreak. U.S. His expertise in local languages and culture made him perfectly suited to the job. 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. Reeves methods of enforcement were somewhat unorthodox. He still always got his manand when they asked him to produce his warrants, he always pulled out the right one. Fortunately, it was a lucrative business. George Reeves was also a legislator, in Texas, and at the time of his death in 1882 from rabies, George Reeves was the Speaker of the House in the Texas legislature. After tracking the notorious outlaw, Reeves captured him without much of a struggle. The Northern District was made up of the Cherokee, Creek and Seminole Nations. It sat on his desk for two days while he decided what to do. He died on January 12, 1910, of kidney disease. Bass Reeves served as a valet for his master's son during THE CIVIL WAR. [1][2] He was named after his grandfather, Bass Washington. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Bass would travel west to Fort Sill, north to Fort Reno and sometimes Fort Supply, picking up and arresting felons who broke federal law in the Indian Territory. Fortunately, he had another useful skill. Spears is now leading an effort to erect a bronze statue of Judge Parker downtown. Judge Parkers orders were to bring them in dead or alive. Most people know that. The rest of the gang disappeared, and no one ever heard from them again. In Black Gun, Silver Star, Burton recounts some stories from Adam Grayson, a former resident of Indian Territory, saying that Reeves tore up at least one warrant for a prisoner who outraced his sorrell steed. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. The Fort Smith National Historic Site has a room dedicated to the history of black lawmen and local military units. Neither man backed down. He tracked two outlaws to their mothers house in the Red River Valley. In May 1902, Reeves and Adams went to the town of Braggs, Cherokee Nation, to quell racial strife. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith has an impressive collection of guns and documents related to famed Deputy U.S. [6] Reeves served in that district until 1893, when he transferred to the Eastern District of Texas in Paris, Texas. A crack shot, he won 14 shoot-outs with men who all drew on him first without suffering a single wound. [2][3][4] Bass stayed with these Native American tribes and learned their languages until he was freed by the Thirteenth Amendment's abolishment of slavery in 1865. Such a dark beginning really sets the stage for the twisted tale of law and violence that followed. He was given the name of his owner, William Reeves. Muskogee was the principal town in the Indian Territory and had a large African American population with many federal offices in town. Reeves was over six feet tall and sported a thick black handlebar mustache. Though he successfully caught the outlaws, Reeves did not escape from his infiltration unscathed. Marshal, directing him to hire 200 deputy U.S. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Bass took the warrant and bought his son in for murder shortly thereafter his son convicted and sent to Leavenworth. He is a member of Western Writers of America and the Chicago Westerners Corral, and was made an honorary territorial marshal by Oklahoma Governor David Walters. Research shows that Reeves stayed in Fort Smith until 1893. The same news-paper reported Reeves in August 1883 bringing in 13 prisoners. Hold your horses though, because theres no official release date for Bass Reeves just yet. Judge Parker ruled on the situation and acquitted Reeves of all charges. He would then memorize their details before striking out to pursue his target. [9]Bass Reeves was the first African American Deputy to be appointed west of the Mississippi River. Marshals Museum. Selma 's David Oyelowo will. Reeves son, Benjamin Reeves, strayed from the family tree and ran into serious trouble with the law. Saddle up, because this ones a bit of a doozyI'll explain Bass Reeves as best as I can. Marshal. Bass Reeves was the first black man to be appointed a U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. So, when Reeves learned that his son was a wanted man, the lawman demanded the warrant. At his trial before Judge Parker, Reeves claimed to have shot the man by mistake while cleaning his gun; he was represented by former United States Attorney W. H. H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. Marshals. [2], In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and pistol, Reeves, during his long career, developed superior detective skills. The deputy lawman found himself on the wrong side of the law in 1887. In a happy subplot to an often harrowing tale, the two stayed together for the rest of their lives. On one occasion, Reeves went deep undercover. Josh Rosenberg is an entertainment writer living in Brooklyn, keeping a steady diet of one movie a day; his past work can be found at CBR, Spin, Insider, and on his personal blog at Roseandblog.com. Dave Kennedy, curator of collections and exhibits, said recently the museum is still in search of Bass . There is a monument dedicated to him. 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. 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. Bass severely beat George, and fled to the Indian Territory where he lived among the Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles. But what made him one of the best in the West was his smarts. The known black deputy U.S. marshals, however, are listed as Rufus Cannon, Bill Colbert, Bynum Colbert, Cyrus Dennis, Wiley Escoe, Neely Factor, Robert Fortune, John Garrett, Edward D. Jefferson, Grant Johnson, John Joss, Robert Love, Zeke Miller, Crowder Nicks (Nix), Charles Pettit, Bass Reeves, Ed Robinson, Dick Roebuck, Isaac Rogers, Jim Ruth, Dick Shaver, Morgan Tucker, Lee Thompson, Eugene Walker and Henry Whitehead. . For the next ten years, he lived a quiet life on his country farm. 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.. In 1875,[7] Isaac Parker was appointed Federal Judge for the Indian Territory. In 1907 Bass Reeves' time as a deputy marshal came to an end, because law enforcement was taken over by state agencies after Oklahoma became a state. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. At his trial before Judge Parker, Reeves was represented by former United States Attorney W. H. H. Clayton, who had been his colleague and friend. [2] Once he had to arrest his own son for murder. Reeves must not have slept. The question, however, opens up an opportunity to talk about one of the best stories around: Born into slavery in Crawford County; escaped servitude during the Civil War; possibly fought for the Union with the Keetoowah Cherokees; survived dozens of gunfights riding for Judge Isaac C. Parker as one of the first black U.S. deputy marshals west of the Mississippi; acquitted of murder for the death of his cook; arrested his son, Benjamin, for shooting his wife, Castella, in a jealous rage. The federal jail court was in Van Buren for the western district of Arkansas and Indian Territory. At Muskogee, Reeves worked under Leo E. Bennett, the former Indian agent for the Five Civilized Tribes, headquartered at the same town. In the card game Cartaventura Oklahoma, one plays the fictional escape of Bass Reeves with five possible outcomes. In 1875, everything changed for Reeves. Though he had a hard reputation, Reeves was, by all accounts, a mild-mannered and polite man. When Reeves drew his warrant, Story drew his Coltbig mistake. He took a job as a patrolman with the Muskogee Oklahoma Police Department. He beat the man BACK AND depending on what you read, either killed him or almost killed him. Over his career, Reeves made a lot of enemies. [1] When Bass Reeves was eight (about 1846), William Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peters Colony. They would travel with a crew, at least one posseman or more, a cook, a guard and one or two wagons with supplies. Typically, local posses accompanied Reeves on his expeditions and stakeouts. When Reeves faced trial, he was lucky enough to know the right people. Reeves didnt just take it, though. Reeves had sent a lot of men into Parkers chamber, most of whom had done terrible things. (Fort Smith National Historic Site. (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. Arkansas native Bass Reeves was one of the first black lawmen west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was born into slavery and gained his freedom when he escaped during the Civil War, fled to the Indian Territory (Arkansas and Oklahoma) and lived among the Native Americans. After it became one of the most popular shows on television, Paramount greenlit a prequel miniseries titled 1883. He was barred from competitive turkey shoots, although he always claimed to be only fair with a rifle. At the age of 67, Bass Reeves retired from federal service at Oklahoma statehood in 1907. Reeves had a reputation as an expert in Indigenous languages with an intimate knowledge of the land. 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. As usual, Reeves struck out with a posse. 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. In 1910, he made his final salute. 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. Reeves was furiousand he had to take his anger out on something. 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.