Bass Reeves was one of the greatest sheriffs of the Wild West in its short history. He was resourceful, a gunslinger, and seemed to be above reproach in many areas.
Unlike lawmen such as Wyatt Earp, who seemed to enforce the law subjectively, Reeves seemed to be more straightforward in his approach and usually got his man.
While he was respected during his lifetime, his fame came after his death when books were written on him.
Early Life
Bass Reeves was born into slavery around 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas. His family was slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves.
Bass started as a water boy until he was old enough to become a field hand like his parents. Later, Bass became a body servant to the son of William Reeves, Colonel George R. Reeves.
During the Civil War, Bass escaped north into the Indian Territory and lived with the Cherokee, Seminole, and Creek Tribe.
While living with the Indians, Bass learned to speak and understand the different Native American languages. He also learned tracking and other skills from the different Indian tribes.
Freedom After War
In 1865, the Civil War ended, and slaves were freed by the Thirteenth Amendment. Bass Reeves moved to Van Buren, Arkansas. He bought a small farm and married Nellie Jennie.
They would have 11 children together. Bass occasionally would serve as a guide into the Indian Territory for Deputy U.S. Marshals who worked for the Federal Court at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
In 1875, Isaac Parker was appointed Federal Judge for the Indian Territory. He appointed James Fagan as U.S. Marshal, directing him to hire 200 Deputy U.S. Marshals.
He recruited Bass Reeves as one of his deputies because of his knowledge of the territory and tribes. Bass was also very quick and accurate with a pistol.
He was barred from competitive turkey shoots, although he always claimed to be only fair with a rifle. Bass Reeves was the first African-American Deputy to be appointed west of the Mississippi River.
Law Career
The deputies' job was to clean up the Indian Territory. Judge Parker’s orders were to bring them in dead or alive. Bass Reeves worked with lawmen such as Heck Thomas, Bud Ledbetter, and Bill Tilghman.
The deputies covered an area of 75,000 square miles. The United States Court at Fort Smith was the largest in the nation.
Bass Reeves began to earn a reputation for his courage and success at bringing in or killing many outlaws of the territory.
He was known for his politeness and courteous manner. He often used aliases and disguises, a cowboy, farmer, gunslinger -- even an outlaw. Being ambidextrous, he always wore two Colt pistols, and he rarely missed his mark.
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.
Many lawmen had tried to apprehend the outlaw, but none were successful until it came to Reeves. Dozier escaped from Bass Reeves for several years until he tracked Bob Dozier down in the Cherokee Hills.
After refusing to surrender, Reeves killed Dozier in a gunfight on December 20, 1878.
In 1882, Bass Reeves arrested outlaw Belle Starr for horse theft, but some say that Belle Starr turned herself in when she heard that Bass Reeves was looking for her.
Bass Reeves delivered two prisoners to U.S. Marshal Leo Bennett in Muskogee, Oklahoma, only to find his own son had been charged with the murder of his wife. Because it was Bass's son, the other deputies were reluctant to take the warrant.
Bass accepted the responsibility for finding his son. Two weeks later, he returned to Muskogee with his son and turned him over to Marshal Bennett.
His son was tried and sent to Kansas’ Leavenworth Prison. After a citizen’s petition and an exemplary prison record, his son was pardoned and was never in trouble with the law again.
Family Overview
Bass Reeves was born into slavery. Tracking a slave's ancestry can be a difficult undertaking due to the lack of records. The information surrounding Bass's father is based on family legend, so it could be true or completely off base.
What is known is that Reeves escaped and married Jane Reeves, and the two began their family in 1861. Bass's kids had a struggle growing up, and he saw much tragedy in his family. He had multiple boys with legal issues. One attempted to murder his wife, and the other killed his wife for adultery.
His daughters faired better, with the exception of one who died of epilepsy.
He married a second wife who raised the remaining kids. He died in 1910, and his will was executed in 1913.
Family Tree Chart
Parents:
Arthur Reeves (unknown) - Bass Reeves was born into slavery, and his father is unknown. Reeves Family legend states that Arthur took his surname from a Santa Fe Trail commissioner, who allegedly assisted Arthur in gaining his freedom. This is a possibility of his father's origins.
Parilee Washington Gautier (1821 - 1915) - She was born a slave and gave birth to three children. Bass would become the most notorious.
Spouse:
Jane Reeves (1840 - 1896) - There are conflicting reports as to her birth dates due to slavery. Her maiden name is also unknown. She and Bass had 11 children together. She passed away in 1896, and he remarried some years later.
Winnie Foreman Sumner (1859 - 1918) - Winnie Jane was born a slave to Dred and Caroline Foreman. She married Benjamin Sumner and later divorced him. She married noted U.S. deputy marshal Bass Reeves on Jan. 14, 1900, in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Children:
Sarah Reeves (1861 - 1933) - She was born during the first year of the Civil War. She married Green Sanders, and they lived in Ft. Smith, Ark., in the early 1900s. He was a cook in a restaurant. The couple had two children.
Robert Reeves (1866 - 1893) - He was born after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox and was the first of Bass's children born free. He worked with his father as a deputy and traveled with him into Indian Territory. He was killed on the job. He and his wife had two children, both young, at the time of his death.
Harriet Reeves (1868 - unknown) - Her death is unknown, but she can be found in the 1870 and 1880 census records.
Georgie A. Reeves (1870 - 1909) - There is not much known about her. She died before her father and was not listed in his will. She lived in Los Angeles, California.
Newland Reeves (1873 - 1910?) - He got into some trouble and was put into jail for seven years. He is not listed in his father's will. It is possible he died in 1910.
Edgar Reeves (1876 - unknown) - He was also in trouble with the law and went to jail. He struggled throughout his life and even attempted murder. He was founded in Independence, Kansas, in 1913.
William Reeves ( 1877 - 1942) - There is not much known about the details of his life. He appears in the census records up to 1940.
Benjamin Bass Reeves (1879 - unknown) - He was working in a restaurant when he married a Creek beauty named Castella Brown on Nov. 20, 1900, in Muskogee, Indian Territory. Apparently, at the time, he killed his wife Castella for an alleged infidelity.
Alice Mae Reeves (1880 - 1966) - She was interviewed about her dad's law enforcement career. She had a son from her first marriage to James Green. She married after his death to a veteran of the Spanish-American War.
Lula Reeves (1881 - 1889) - She was only 17 when she died. She died of epilepsy.
Homer Reeves (1882 - 1903) - There is little known of him. He is buried beside his younger brother, who passed before him.
Bass Reeves Jr. (1887 - 1901) - Same as Homer. There is little known of him, and is buried next to his older brother.
Siblings:
Jane Reeves (1845 - unknown) - She married and had four children, according to the 1870 census. She was born a slave and died free. Her children claimed that Bass never got into a fight with his master.