Born as a slave in Arkansas, there was no future at the time for someone like Bass Reeves. He would not only find his way to freedom, he went on to make history. He became the first black U.S. Marshal in history and one of the greatest lawmen to ever ride the Indian Territories. Although largely illiterate, he learned enough letters to be able to present the correct warrants when approached his fugitive. His reputation was such that Belle Starr chose to surrender herself rather than to have him pursue her. He always got his man and although he was forced to retire under the Jim Crow laws of the early 20th century, he couldn't let his sense of justice retire.
When the Civil War broke out, George Reeves (master) joined the confederacy, like many young and idealistic hotheads in the southand dragged Bass right along with him. It was said that during one intense battle that Bass was able to escape into the western Indian territory, where he learned the cultures and languages. Hiding in the territories allowed him to wait out the period of time from his escape until the Emancipation Proclamation became effective. Once he discovered that he wouldn't be returned to the the Reeves family, Bass settled in near Van Buren, Arkansas and became a farmer.
Following the Civil War, there was a great deal of unrest in the western territories, you had the western push of settlers and the fact that those areas were an excellent place to hide from the law. In May 1875 the Western District Court was moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where Judge Isaac Parker employed Marshal James Fagan, to find and hire those individuals with the best knowledge of the territories to track down fugitives. Bass Reeves came to Marshal Fagan's attention because of his time spent in the Indian Territory. It would turn out that his time there would become invaluable to Bass as a lawman.
Bass was imposing figure standing over six feet tall with his handlebar mustache and a physique honed by years of hard work. He rode a large white stallion and was a master of disguises. The rule handed down by Judge Parker was to bring in the fugitive alive or dead, but bring them in. Bass spend 30 years tracking down fugitives before the states took control of law enforcement. Once that happened Jim Crow laws made it impossible for Bass to continue as a Marshal and he was forcibly retired. Settling in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Reeves joined that police force walking a beat. The section assigned to him had one of the lowest crime rates in the city. When Reeves died in January 1910 he would be remembered in the newspaper:
“Eighty miles west of Fort Smith was known as “the deadline,” and whenever a deputy marshal from Fort Smith or Paris, Texas, crossed the Missouri, Kansas & Texas track he took his own life in his hands and he knew it. On nearly every trail would be found posted by outlaws a small card warning certain deputies that if they ever crossed the deadline they would be killed. Reeves has a dozen of these cards which were posted for his special benefit. And in those days such a notice was no idle boast, and many an outlaw has bitten the dust trying to ambush a deputy on these trails.” – Oklahoma City newspaper article, 1907.
Today a monument stands in memory of this legendary frontier lawman. If you would like to learn more about Bass Reeves please check out the following websites.
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