Bass Reeves
Nathaniel Ashley
Bass Reeves’ story is one that defies belief. Born a slave in 19th century America, Bass eventually escaped, becoming a free man and starting a family. Yet he did not let this stop him from becoming the first black U.S. Deputy Marshall in history and a respected lawman in his own right. Credited with a staggering 3000 arrests and getting involved in numerous gunfights throughout his career. Unfortunately, despite his achievements being just as impressive (if not moreso) as his contemporaries such as Wyatt Earp or Jesse James, he never gained the same recognition; perhaps because his tale forces us to confront uncomfortable truths that lie beneath our romanticised understanding of the Wild West.
Born in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, Bass and his family were all slaves, owned by a local state legislator named William Steele Reeves. When the plantation moved to Texas, Bass and his family were taken too, and when William died, they came to serve William’s son, George. It was during this time that Bass was taught how to shoot. He quickly became skilled with a rifle, being entered by his master into numerous competitions, which he was eventually banned from for being too good. Yet despite this, his foreman, the very man who taught him to shoot, refused to let him learn to read; he had such faith in his slaves’ subservience, he believed that knowledge was more dangerous than firearms.
The Civil War would change everything for Bass, as it would for many other slaves; forced to fight for the Confederate side under his owner, George Reeves, Bass used the opportunity to make a dramatic escape, physically overpowering George before fleeing. However, unlike so many other slaves of his time, Bass did not flee to the Union’s side, but instead to Indian Territory. There he moved between tribes including the Cherokee, Seminole and Creek Indians, learning their languages, a skill that would become useful in later life.
The end of the war and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 officially made Reeves a free man. He left the Native American tribes, returned to Arkansas and set up a farm there, where he married a woman named Nellie Jennie. Together they had 11 children.
His story would be extraordinary enough had it ended there, but there was much more in store for Bass. In 1875, James F. Fagan was made US Marshall and tasked with keeping the peace in Indian Territory. In order to carry out this task, Fagan was authorised to deputise 200 civilians in order to aid him. Bass Reeves was one of them. Having heard of Reeves’ knowledge of Native American land and languages, Fagan deputised him, making Reeves the first black Deputy U.S. Marshall in the history of America.
Reeves would spend the next 32 years of his life in the Marshall’s service. Over that time he arrested 3000 felons, earning him a reputation as a distinguished lawman. He also became renowned for his gunfighting skill, and by the end of his career had shot 14 criminals in self-defence. Even more impressively, in all these shootouts, he was never once injured. Yet he took far more pride in those he could bring in without violence; both those who knew him and his record attest to that. There are even accounts of him using multiple disguises in order to being crooks to justice without resorting to violence.
It was during his time as a Deputy Marshall that Bass faced the most intriguing, and personal, case of his life. One of his own sons, Bennie Reeves, fled after being accused of killing his wife. Despite being shaken, Bass insisted that he be the one to take his own son in, to the surprise of his colleagues. He eventually succeeded in tracking down and capturing Bennie, who was forced to serve jail time.
Bennie was eventually released, and by all accounts was said to have lived the rest of his life as a model citizen. It’s not clear why Bass felt so strongly that he had to be the one to bring him in, whether it was a matter of personal honour or a belief he would have a better chance of doing it safely; what can’t be disputed is the incredible will it must have taken to bring his own son to justice.
Bass Reeves died in 1910, just a year after retiring. He was by no means a perfect man; at the very least he was a passive participant in American colonial expansion onto Native American land, and one suspects his devotion to duty must have come at a high personal cost. Yet these contradictions only add to his intrigue. If we continue to be fascinated by such reprehensible figures as Napoleon or Al Capone, why should we not remember a man who overcame hardship and prejudices to become the epitome of a lawman in the Wild West of America? Bass Reeves achieved many extraordinary things, and hopefully this article will inspire you to learn more about him, or the countless others who have slipped through the cracks of history.