Bass Reeves was born into slavery in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, or possibly Paris, Texas; it is not known for sure. Bass was named after his grandfather, Basse Washington. Slaves often took the last name of their master, in Bass’ case, Reeves. Bass Reeves and his family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves and his son George Robertson Reeves. When Bass Reeves was eight (about 1846), William Steele Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peter’s Colony. They subsequently acquired land near Preston and in Georgetown. Bass Reeves may have been offered by William Reeves to his son, Colonel George Robertson Reeves, as a personal assistant and servant.
George R. Reeves of Georgetown, a few miles north of Pottsboro Texas, was a sheriff and legislator in Texas, serving as the Speaker of the House until his death from rabies in 1882.
George R. Reeves joined the Confederacy in the Civil War as a leader in the 11th Texas Cavalry and took his personal servant Bass with him. During the Civil War, Bass left George Reeves, perhaps "because Bass beat up George after a dispute in a card game.” Bass Reeves fled north into the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) and lived with the Cherokee, Seminole, and Creek Indians until he was officially freed by the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. Indian Territory was a popular location for run-away slaves and outlaws to hide at that time. Here, Bass became familiar with the land and he learned how to ride, shoot and track, and became fluent in five Native American languages.
After the war, Bass became the first African American settler in Van Buren, Arkansas. There he married and worked the land. Bass and his family farmed until 1875, when Isaac Parker, the “Hanging Judge”, was appointed federal judge for the Indian Territory. He appointed James F. Fagan as U.S. Marshal, directing him to hire 200 deputy U.S. Marshals. Fagan had heard about Reeves. He recruited him as one of his deputies and Reeves was one of, if not, THE first African-American deputy west of the Mississippi. Reeves was initially assigned as a Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas and the Indian Territory.
A newspaper reported Reeves had brought in 3,000 living felons and 20 dead. He corrected the record, saying he had killed 14 men in self-defense. He once caught 19 horse thieves at one time near Fort Sill. The noted female outlaw Belle Starr turned herself in at Fort Smith when she found out Reeves had the warrant for her arrest.
Reeves worked for thirty-two years as a Federal Marshall in Indian Territory. He was one of Judge Parker's most valued deputies. Reeves brought in some of the most dangerous criminals of the time, but was never wounded, despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions. Men like Reeves and Parker were the REAL possessors of “True Grit”.
In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and pistol, Reeves, during his long career, developed superior detective skills. When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee, Oklahoma police department. Reeves' health began to fail, and he died of kidney disease in 1910.
It’s believed that Bass Reeves was the inspiration for The Lone Ranger radio and television series. He was in hiding in his first years in Indian Territory, he was a master of disguise which he employed when necessary, hence, his “mask;” his extreme skill in all areas of law enforcement; his Indian companions; his honesty and devotion to duty.
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 nothing." There are also stark parallels between him and Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. Bass was also elected into the Cowboy Hall of Fame.
He was a true self-made man, rising as he did from lowly slavery to becoming a legendary and respected lawman, remembered long after his death. He is an inspiration to all Americans and an American success story.
An extensive story about Bass Reeves is in my book “Ghost Towns of Texoma, Volume 4 – Georgetown” available at select local stores and at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1523637161 on Amazon.com.