Legendary Black Heroes: Bass Reeves

Submitted by Diedri Webb, Tacoma.

Since it is Black History Month, I’m glad to tell the story of Legendary Black Hero Bass Reeves. He was the First Black Marshall in the US-and legend says he was the prototype of the Lone Ranger. I think that’s true. Let me show you.

Bass Reeves was born a slave on July1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas His owner was William Steele Reeves, who owned other slaves. He was also a Confederate Colonel in the Civil War. Reeves was the speaker of the House  and a Texas Legislator .

The Reeves, family and slaves, moved to Greyson County, Texas in 1846. Young Bass worked as a stable hand and blacksmith apprentice. He then became a man servant to William S. Reeves’ son, George. He was forced to assist his enslaver. During the Civil War, Bass fought at Pea Ridge in March 1862,at Chickamauga in September 1863 and at Missionary Ridge in November 1863.

The young men spent a lot of time together. George and Bass were playing cards there was a big disagreement-well it was more than a disagreement. Bass knocked the hell out of George. With no choice, Reeves escaped in fear of being hanged. Reeves ran North into Indian territory where he became acquainted with the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole tribes. There he learned their languages, and became familiar  with the territory. Reeves served as a Sergeant with the Union Indian Home Guard Regiment. He served as a scout and tracker for peace officers.

Bass Reeves stayed in the Indian Territory, which was a very dangerous place to be. There was a lot of  killing going on.  In a short period of time 200 US deputy Marshals, were killed in the line of duty, Indian policemen were getting killed and the town municipal policemen were getting killed. It was a battlefield of crime and law enforcement.

When the 13th  Amendment abolished slavery, Bass became free.  Then he moved to Oklahoma. There is where Bass met his first wife, Nellie Jennie from Texas. they had 10 childern – 5 girls and 5 boys.  Bass became a farmer in Arkansas. At this time, the Freemen’s Bureau Act of 1865-1866 was put in place to provide food and shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced southerners, including newly freed African Americans. Later, schools were established.

Judge Isaac Parker, known as The Hanging Judge, commissioned Reeves US deputy marshal in 1875. Judge Parker, then commissioned James Fleming Fagan (farmer, politician, officer of the Confederated State Army, and friend of Parker) to hire 200 US. Deputy Marshalls. Bass Reeves was the first to be hired because of his known reputation, West of the Mississippi River.  Reeves worked 35 years as a deputy marshal in Indian Territory where there was no state or federal jurisdiction.

Bass was he was an expert with his pistol and rifle like most of the deputy marshals, Bass preferred the single action Colt revolver, and his love was his Winchester rifles. He also was a fearsome quick draw artist and was known for his bravery. He never backed down.

Riding for Judge Parker, Bass Reeves covered over seventy-five thousand square miles during his time as a peace officer, Bass killed fourteen outlaws. He had a wagon and a cook who served as a guard and one-man posse. This man, Light Horse, was his trusted friend. During his years as a lawman, Bass didn’t always stay on the right side of the law and spent some time behind bars. It doesn’t seem to have slowed him down.

Judge Parker knew Bass was an asset. Bass Reeves is said to have arrested more than 3,000 criminals including white men charged with crimes against black people, and Native Americans. Single handedly, he brought in criminals charged with crimes from bootlegging to murder.

In a shoot-out Bass had been shot, but only suffered two bullet holes in his hat. That was shot off his head two different times. 

A story is told about two brothers that holed up in their mother’s house hiding from the law. Now Bass took in the situation, changed his clothes to look more outlaw-like, and showed up at the house. He knocked and the door and the mother answered. “Can I help you,” she asked. Bass replied, I’m running from the law. The mom let him in. Bass immediately saw the two brothers sleeping. It became real easy for Bass to handcuff the two.

The Greatest Testimony to his devotion to his duty was the fact he brought his own son in for the murder of his wife once he received the warrant.

Bass stood by his son Bennie during the trial, and visited him regularly after 12 years behind bars, Bennie’s sentence was commuted. By that time, Bass had passed away grieving because he believed he had put his son in jail for life.

Bass Reeves was one of the Greatest peace officers in history of the American western frontier. He was relieved of his duty in 1907, when the newly minted state of Oklahoma made it illegal for a black man to serve as a Marshal.

Research shows that the fictional character of The Lone Ranger was, in fact, based on the career of Bass Reeves. Both men were Texas Marshals, rode a white horse and had a Native American companion.  As Art T. Burton writes in Black Gun, Silver Star, “Although there is no concrete evidence that the real legend inspired the creation of one of fiction’s most well-known cowboys, Bass Reeves is the closest real person resembling the fictional Lone Ranger on the American western frontier of the nineteenth century.” The Lone Ranger rides again. 

About Diedri Dixon: This is Diedri’s first written article, but she has begun researching and presenting stories about legendary Black Heroes on Dorothy Wilhelm’s podcast, SwimmingUpstreamRadioShow.com. Diedri is a Buffalo Soldiers reenactor, loves horses and Tai Chi. You can call her Lady D.