Old West Remembered
Tales From The Old West · dsronpSeot6079huu290um6fucu299g0ghlla187uta13f09334701maf68l ·
Tales From The Old West
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THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER.
Bass Reeves

Bass was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas, in July 1838 under the ownership of William Steele Reeves. The family moved to the front line Grayson County, Texas, in 1846, where Bass grew up working as a water boy and field hand. By the 1850s, he was assigned as a personal servant to the owner's son, George R. Reeves, who later became a Confederate Colonel.

During this time, Bass grew to an imposing 6’2” and became a master marksman with a rifle and pistol.When the Civil War erupted in 1861, George took Bass to the front lines as his bodyguard.

Sometime during the war, George and Bass got into a heated dispute over a poker game because George cheated, leading Bass to drop him with a single punch and flee into the night.

Bass escaped north into Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma, where he took refuge among the Cherokee, Cree, and Seminole nations.
He learned to track, mastered their customs, and became fluent in multiple Indigenous languages, which were skills that changed his life forever. He is also believed to have fought for his freedom during this time with the Union Indian Home Guard Regiments.

The war ended in 1865, and the Emancipation Proclamation made him officially free. Bass left Indian Territory and bought a homestead near Van Buren, Arkansas, where he married his love, Nellie Jennie. Together, they built a highly successful farm and raised 10 children. Because he knew the dangerous Indian Territory like the back of his hand, federal marshals quickly began hiring him as a local scout and guide.

In 1875, Federal Judge Isaac Parker, the famous Hanging Judge, took over the lawless West District and ordered the hiring of 200 deputies to clean up 75,000 square miles of outlaw territory. Hearing of Bass's unique language and tracking skills, U.S. Marshal James Fagan commissioned him, making Bass the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River.

Bass could not read or write, so before hitting the trail, someone read him his stack of warrants. Bass memorizes every single name, charge, and location, ensuring he never arrested the wrong person.

Standing 6'2", riding a massive white stallion, and wearing two ambidextrous Colt pistols, Bass was unmistakable, so he often went undercover as a tramp, a cowboy, or a farmer to catch smart outlaws. Over a 32-year federal career, Bass arrested more than 3,000 outlaws and killed 14 men in self-defense, famously stating he never shot a man unless it was absolutely necessary. His unwavering dedication to the law was tested in 1902 when his own son, Bennie, killed his wife in a jealous fit.

While other marshals hesitated, Bass demanded the warrant, tracked his own son down, and handed him over to the court.

Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, which dissolved the federal courts and brought rising Jim Crow laws that stripped Black marshals of their federal badges. At 68 years old, Bass refused to quit and joined the Muskogee, Oklahoma Police Department as a street patrolman, where not a single crime was reported on his beat for two years.

Bass Reeves passed away from Bright's disease on January 12, 1910, at the age of 71. His obituary beautifully described him as absolutely fearless and knowing no master but duty.

The exact burial site of legendary Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves is historically unknown. However, historical research points to him being buried in an unmarked grave at the historically neglected Harding Memorial Cemetery (or the nearby Agency Cemetery) in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Harding Memorial is currently being inventoried and mapped as part of a 5 year restoration plan. If/when a headstone/location for Bass is found, it will be announced when the restoration team is ready.

Many historians believe Bass Reeves’s signature style riding a white horse, using disguises, keeping a strict moral code, and using silver coins served as the direct inspiration for The Lone Ranger. But Hollywood chose to erase his name from the story for decades. Let's make sure his actual name is never forgotten. Share this to honor a true American titan!