He earned the name Deadwood Dick in 1976 after winning $200 in a competition in the Dakota Territory that required contestants to rope, throw, tie bridles, and saddle a horse. Here, he also honed his firearm skills, becoming very quick and accurate with a pistol and rifle. Brought to trial before Judge Parker, he testified that he shot the cook by accident while cleaning his gun, and was acquitted. Bass sometimes served as a scout and guide for U.S. Deputy Marshals going into Indian Territory on business for the Van Buren Federal Court, which had jurisdiction over Indian Territory. Indian Territory was where the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, and Chickasaw tribes who were forcibly removed from their homes were resettled following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. formId: "bb101386-3a24-451d-80af-5e725ebb6c69", or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Year should not be greater than current year. The real Bass Reeves was born in July of 1838, died in January 1910, and was the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshall that lived west of the Mississippi River. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reeves-bass. Nudie E. Williams, "Bass Reeves," Negro History Bulletin 42 (April-May-June 1979). While Reeves was a successful farmer, rancher, and father, he occasionally worked as a scout and used his tracking skills to help lawmen find criminals but his true second act had yet to begin. Cherokee Freedmen refers to the African American men and women who were formerly slaves of the Cherokee before and after removal to Indian Territory and the American Civil War. trips that sometimes lasted for months." Reeves, Bass, When he asked her about an alleged infidelity, she replied that it was true. Initially, Bass Reeves worked as a water boy, and then he later became a field hand. We have set your language to . Every penny counts! Try again later. He killed fourteen men in the performance of his duty while assigned to the federal district courts at Paris and Sherman, Texas, during his thirty-two-year career as deputy. While the story told in the all-Black western is entirely fictional, many of its characters were actual figures. According to Ben, she was unapologetic and said she thought more of his [John Wadlys] little finger than she did of my whole body. In a rage, he murdered his wife right then and there. In 1889, after Reeves was assigned to Paris, Texas, he went after the Tom Story gang for their long-term horse theft operation. Marshal. years before being tracked down and killed after refusing to surrender. Reeves eventually procured a homestead in Van Buren, Arkansas, where he was the first black settler. Non-Indians were under the jurisdiction of federal courts, but there were few marshals to supervise a very large area. 1898 - The Muskogee Years Reeves transfers to Muskogee, Indian Territory Nov 28, 1901. Lula Reeves 1881 - 1899. The following work is the result of the memorial creator Jane Jamell-Hinkle's research:Funeral Home Record from Birnie Brothers Funeral Home. However, dodging bullets was by no means his only skill. He died on January 12, 1910, and he was buried in the Union Agency Cemetery at Muskogee, Oklahoma, but the exact location of his grave is unknown. Bass eventually moved to Arkansas where he met his wife Nellie Jennie and. He died in 1910 from nephritis. Please enter your email and password to sign in. After the death of his wife, Reeves married Winnie Sumter of Muskogee, Okla., and. By 1907, law enforcement was put in the hands of state agencies. Nats father passed away when he was about 15 years old. An illustration of a shootout in the Wild West. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Because of his knowledge of the area and fluency in the Creek and Seminole languages, The three outlaws laughed and read the warrant, and in the split second they all took their eyes off Reeves, he managed to draw his gun and kill two of them, and immediately disarmed and arrested the third. Though shaken by the thought of it, Reeves soon arrested his own son. Ben grew into a tall, lean man with slate blue eyes. Reeves embarks on a manhunt for Jim Webb, a horse thief and cowboy believed to have killed eleven people; after a fierce gunfight, a dying Webb gives Reeves his scabbard and his pistol carved with notches from prior kills. His son was tried, convicted to life in prison, and sent to Kansas Leavenworth Penitentiary. The court unanimously decided that there was no evidence Reeves murdered his wife with the intent of taking her land, therefore he was still entitled to it. Contrary to what classic Westerns might lead us to believe, one in four American cowboys was actually African American. You can always change this later in your Account settings. There was a problem getting your location. Winnie was a widow when she married Bass Reeves. Once asked why he spent so much effort enforcing the "white man's laws," Bass reportedly replied, "Maybe the law ain't perfect, but it's the only one we got, and without it we got nuthin'. Bass was hired as a U.S. Deputy Marshal by Judge Issac Parker, known as "the hanging judge". Todays post was written by Holly Rivet, archival technician at the National Archives in St. Louis. and lawman. Her job was to protect the mail from thieves and deliver the mail, regardless of weather conditions. During this time, young Bass impresses the owner of his family with his pleasant demeanor and aptitude for working with livestock. Ben grew into a tall, lean man with slate blue eyes. The Inmate Case File of Ben Reeves (NAID 7861497), contains a wealth of information about his characteristics, correspondence, and his conduct while incarcerated. https://www.tshaonline.org, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reeves-bass. His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice. She was the second womanand first African American womanto have that occupation. The real Nat Love was born into slavery in 1854. Unavailable. First, it is intended to be a spiritual successor to Bill Crider's blog, Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine. Bass Reevess legendary career as a U.S. marshal ended in 1907 when the new state . Cause of death - Peritonitis result of cancer.Note: Name on funeral home receipt, Green Sanders, is Jennie's son-in-law, married to daughter Sallie Reeves Sanders.After cross referencing old Block numbers and current block numbers it is determined that Jennie Reeves is in Block 36. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Later, with a citizens petition and an exemplary prison record, Bennie Reeves was pardoned and lived the rest of his life as a model citizen. She was known for her volatile temper and gun-toting, which eventually led to her being kicked out of the convent. According to the Chickasaw Enterprise newspaper, at this point in his service as deputy US marshal, Reeves had apprehended more than three thousand people for violating federal laws in Indian Territory. Reeves traveled the long circuit with a wagon, cook, and often a posse. and arrested his own son after a two week manhunt. Bass Reeves began to ride the Oklahoma range in search of outlaws. His parents are enslaved by the Arkansas State Legislator William Steele Reeves. He arrested over 3,000 . Always wearing a large hat, Reeves was usually a spiffy dresser, with his boots polished to a gleaming shine. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Parker hired U.S. Killing some 14 men during his service, Reeves always said that he never shot a man when it was not necessary for him to do so in the discharge of his duty to save his own life.. (. Fagan knew of Reeves and his ability to negotiate Indian Territory and speak the languages, so Reeves was named the first black Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. Dozier eluded Reeves for several months until the lawman tracked him down in the Cherokee Nation. Later Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. He arrested over 3,000 criminals and was . And many people whom he arrested were sent to the House of Corrections in Detroit, which was the same city where The Lone Ranger was first introduced via radio in 1933. Bass Reeves (1838 - 1910) (shown) was a former slave who became a deputy U.S. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. During the Civil War he fled to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma, where he took refuge with the Seminole, Cherokee, and Creek Indians, learning their customs, languages, and tracking skills. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Harriet Reeves 1868 - Unknown. He tracked down Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Drag images here or select from your computer for Jane Jennie Reeves memorial. New Yellowstone Spin-Off Pivots To Focus On True-Life Legendary Badass Bass Reeves. He once arrested his own son on a murder warrant after a two-week manhunt. The quicker of the two, Reeves shoots first, killing his quarry in self-defense. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Jane Reeves (147727516)? Bass Reeves, the first black commissioned United States deputy marshal west of the Mississippi River, was born to enslaved parents in July 1838 near Paris, Texas. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Since he was illiterate Reeves often memorized warrants that were read to him by the Include gps location with grave photos where possible. He carried chains to secure prisoners to the wagon, as he sometimes had a dozen or more by the time he returned to Ft. Smith, where Judge Parker held court. He married Nellie Jennie in 1864, and then Winnie Sumter after she died. In 1895, the gang robbed, raped, and murdered; eventually being captured in August of that year. In 1875, Isaac C. Parker was appointed federal judge of Indian Territory. After their emancipation and citizenship, the Cherokee Freedmen and their descendants struggled to be accepted as a legitimate part of the Cherokee Nation. Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In the film, Beetz portrays Nats on-again, off-again lover, the fearless Stagecoach Mary. They ended up having a whopping ten childrenfive boys and five girls. In 1992 Reeves was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Center. He married Nellie Jennie (d. 1896) in 1864 and Winnie . A year later, he married Nellie Jennie from Texas and immediately began to have a family. Marshal and authorized Any chance I get to revisit historical moments of our country is important to me.. Employee Affinity Group. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Producing are MTV Entertainment Studios, Bosque Ranch Productions, Yoruba Saxon, and 101 Studios. [2] On April 22, 1899, she received her land grant patent from the Creek Nation in the amount of 40 acres. Marshal and is thought to be the inspiration for the Lone Ranger. Bass Reeves, was the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River and one of the greatest frontier heroes in our nation's history. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. But they weren't the only citizens of Indian Territory. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. But interestingly enough, the inspiration behind The Lone Ranger may have actually been the real-life Deputy U.S. He is named for his grandfather, Bass Washington. Before going on a pursuit, he would have someone read him the warrants so he could memorize which was which. He arrested over 3,000 criminals and was never wounded while doing so. Robert Reeves 1866 - Unknown. His wife, Nellie Jennie Reeves, tries to persuade Bass not to leave for his own safety, but Bass argues that it's the best job he can get to keep a roof over his family's head. During the prior two years, not a single crime was committed in his patrol area. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Though the warrant had been lying on Bennetts desk for two days, the other deputies were reluctant to take it and though Reeves was shaken, he demanded to accept the responsibility for finding his son. became a policeman for the City of Muskogee. Bill was said to have killed up to eight men before being hanged in 1896. Bass Reeves grew up illiterate and remained illiterate for his entire life. A 25 foot bronze statue of Reeves is unveiled at Pendergraft Park in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He lists his closest relative as Zola Reeves and gives his name as Bennie Bass Reeves. included the Indian Territory. Daniel J. Littlefield, Jr., and Lonnie E. Underhill, Negro Marshal in the Indian The son, wanted for the murder Marshal, Reeves had seen bullets fly through his clothing and hat, but was never injured by an outlaw. , , Linea del tiempo-GENERACIONES DE LAS COMPUTADORAS, See more Science and Technology timelines, http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_ar.html, http://newsok.com/feed/statue-of-u.s.-marshal-to-travel-from-oklahoma-to-arkansas-wednesday/article/3675994?custom_click=pod_headline_news, https://fortsmith.org/bass-reeves-monument. Have you taken a DNA test? Ben kept in close contact with his sisters and their stepmother, but his relationship with his father appears to have been strained. He also tracked Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Leaving Fort Smith, often with a pocketful of warrants, Bass would return months later herding a number of outlaws charged with crimes ranging from bootlegging to murder. 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