Depending on the outlaws for whom he was searching, a deputy would generally take with him from Fort Smith, a wagon, a cook, and a Native American posseman. A system error has occurred. The Pacific Reporter, Volume, 95. And Reeves was soon hired on as a Deputy U.S. Try again. Her job was to protect the mail from thieves and deliver the mail, regardless of weather conditions. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. One account recalls how Bass Reeves Marshal Leo Bennett in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he was given some bad news. marksman, Reeves was an imposing law enforcement officer at six foot two. Linea De Tiempo Historia de la Educacion Inicial en Colombia, Los 10 filsofos ms importantes de la historia. Reeves traveled the long circuit with a wagon, cook, and often a posse. Bass Reeves . Try again later. So it is one of the safest places for escaped slaves. Handbook of Texas Online, Reeves, Bass, Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Sorry! Ben kept in close contact with his sisters and their stepmother, but his relationship with his father appears to have been strained. Below is an article about Reeves from Matt Helm first published in blackpast.org. Covering some 75,000 square miles, the United States Court at Fort Smith, was the largest in the nation. And fugitives took full advantage of the area. The 2010 straight-to-video movie Bass Reeves is a fictionalized account of the lawman's life. By many historical accounts, Nat was a skilled cowboy. He is also the leader of the Rufus Buck gang, which includes the mysterious Trudy Smith (Regina King), and Cherokee Bill, played by Lakeith Stanfield. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. In the film, Beetz portrays Nats on-again, off-again lover, the fearless Stagecoach Mary. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Raising 10 children on their homestead five girls and five boys, the family lived happily on the farm. 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. The New York Public LibraryAn illustration of a Confederate campsite during the Civil War. She was known for her volatile temper and gun-toting, which eventually led to her being kicked out of the convent. Little is known of their early relationship but in less than two years, it ended in her murder and his incarceration at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Oops, something didn't work. He shot and killed 14 criminals in self-defense. Weve updated the security on the site. In 1889, after Reeves was assigned to Paris, Texas, he went after the Tom Story gang for their long-term horse theft operation. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Non-Indians were under the jurisdiction of federal courts, but there were few marshals to supervise a very large area. Over his 32-year career as a Deputy U.S. his church minister for selling illegal alcohol. The state of Oklahoma at the time was two different territories: Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. Beetzs character in The Harder They Fall is about 30 years younger than the actual Stagecoach Mary would have been in the late 1800s. In the film, he is an outlaw, and another member of Loves gang. became a policeman for the City of Muskogee. He married Nellie Jennie, built an eight-room house with his bare hands, and raised ten. Standing six feet, two inches tall, he was often seen riding a large white stallion as he patrolled all 75,000 square miles of Indian Territory. In the Netflix film, Lindo plays Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. The story of Bass Reeves is sometimes cited as the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr., and Lonnie E. Underhill, "Negro Marshal in Indian Territory," Journal of Negro History 56 (April 1971). Marshal Bass Reeves, had arrested him. Nellie Jennie (Bass Reeves' wife) What is Palomino Mugging? When the A year later, he married Nellie Jennie of Texas. His own son, Bennie, had been charged with murder, after having killed his wife in a fit of jealousy. is based on Bass Reeves. He became a barber and on November 20, 1900, married Castella Brown. In a statement he gave in February of 1903, he said, By constant worry over her actions and the breaking up of my home, and receiving such an answer I lost all control and shot her.[1] It was in this statement that he confirmed that his father, the famous frontier Deputy U.S. That man's son, Colonel George R. Reeves, took Bass with him when he joined the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Brought to trial before Judge Parker, he testified that he shot the cook by accident while cleaning his gun, and was acquitted. Buffalo Soldiers, the first all-Black peacetime regiments in U.S. history. While Jane or Jennie Reeves was reportedly born in 1850 in the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census, the deponent (a family member) of her burial record stated that she was 56 years old at the time of her death. The stray gunfire kills an unfortunate camp cook. She enjoys the strange and unusual, and green tea. Maybe the law aint perfect, but its the only one we got, and without it we got nuthin Bass Reeves. ). She was a Creek Freedwoman and a full member of the Creek Nation. 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. When he asked her about an alleged infidelity, she replied that it was true. He would appear to felons as a cowboy, farmer, or even as a fellow outlaw. Reeves died of Bright's disease in 1910. Resend Activation Email. In any case, Reeves went to live among the Creek and Seminole Indians. . (However, others say Reeves simply heard that slaves were being freed and decided to run in order to free himself.). Love died in California at the age of 67 in 1921. (Lincoln NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2006); Kathy Weiser, Legends of America, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-BassReeves.html, 1010 Campus DriveBig Rapids, MI 49307[emailprotected](231) 591-5873, 1201 S. State Street, Big Rapids, Michigan USA 49307, Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships, Card/Riley Conservation and Wildlife Education Center, Latino Business & Economic Development Center, Below is an article about Reeves from Matt Helm first published in blackpast.org, Legends of America, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-BassReeves.html. Bass Reeves was born to enslaved people in Arkansas, and the person who likely enslaved his family was William Reeves. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. New Yellowstone Spin-Off Pivots To Focus On True-Life Legendary Badass Bass Reeves. Written, directed, and scored by Jeymes Samuel, this movie highlights a moment in history and shows that cowboys came in different forms, contrary to popular belief. [1] Inmate File of Ben Reeves, image 39 (NAID 7861497), Inmate Case Files, 7/3/1895-11/5/1957; Record Group 129: Records of the Bureau of Prisons, 1870-2009; National Archives at Kansas City, [2] Index to the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory, 3/4/1907, image 579 (NAID 300320), Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, 18991914; Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1826 2009, [3] Inmate Case File of Ben Reeves, image 1-4 (NAID 7861497); Inmate Case Files, 7/3/1895-11/5/1957; RG 129, [5] Oklahoma. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Here, he also honed his firearm skills, becoming very quick and accurate with a pistol and rifle. Bass became a farmer in Arkansas. Reeves, thinking quickly, explains that he needs to write down the date of their capture, buying him enough time to draw his revolver, which he used to shoot dead one of his attackers. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. His children were named Newland, Benjamin, George, Lula, Robert, Sally, Edgar, Bass Jr., Harriet, Homer and Alice. Benny Reeves served 22 years at Leavenworth Prison. Despite his many disguises and calling cards, Reeves always treated his position with great respect. George Reeves 1869 - 1932. Reeves is almost killed while pursuing four men along the Seminole Whiskey Trail. So much of history is lost on us today. Starring in the limited series is David Oyelowo ("Selma," "The Butler," "Les Miserables"), as was previously announced when this was going to be a standalone series. West Publishing Company, 1908. an African American who made a difference in this country. He then quickly disarmed a second and shot a third, only injuring him. After being freed in 1863, he married a woman named Nellie Jennie and . Unavailable. The lengthy and glowing obituary for this universally respected man described him as absolutely fearless and knowing no master but duty., Over the 35 years that Bass Reeves served as a Deputy United States Marshal, he earned his place in history by being one of the most effective lawmen in Indian Territory, bringing in more than 3,000 outlaws and helping to tame the lawless territory. Try again later. Try again later. In 1902, Bass Reeves son, Benny, was charged with the murder of his wife. There was a problem getting your location. He married Nellie Jennie (or Jinney), a Texas native, in 1864, and they raised a family of ten, five boys and five girls. Arkansas where he bought land and worked as a farmer and stockman. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Ben Reeves remained in Okmulgee and later married Fleccia Cromartie of Iowa. Try again later. His father was an officer in the old Indian Territory for more than 30 years and was always considered an honest and honorable man, and I believe Ben has in his nature some of his fathers good qualities. Just one grandparent can lead you to many Leave a message for others who see this profile. federal judges or other court officials. After refusing to surrender, Reeves killed Dozier in an accompanying gunfight on December 20, 1878. Ben grew into a tall, lean man with slate blue eyes. Of course, its worth noting that theres no concrete proof that Reeves inspired the famous character. His mother died in 1896 due to consumption (tuberculosis) leaving his father widowed with eleven children to care for. Learn more about merges. He lists his closest relative as Zola Reeves and gives his name as Bennie Bass Reeves. The 1880 Census also states that her father was born in Arkansas and her mother was born in Texas. Often they rode to such places as Fort Reno, Fort Sill and Anadarko, a round trip of more than 800 miles. It's an interesting move and one that I think is very positive. 1896 - Nellie Reeves Dies Nellie Reeves, the wife of Bass Reeves, dies of tuberculosis. The Oklahoma Territory Act extends civil and criminal laws of Arkansas over Indian territory. Belle Starr (left), a notorious horse thief, was arrested by Bass Reeves in 1883. In 2011, the bridge that connects Muskogee and Fort Gibson in Oklanahoma was named the Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge. Bass Reeves, was the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River and one of the greatest frontier heroes in our nations history. Led by the 18-year-old Rufus Buck(center), the members of the gang included Maoma July, Lucky Davis, Sam Sampson, and Lewis Davis. He then became a city police officer in Muskogee, Oklahoma. For the next thirty-two years Bass Reeves brought to justice over 3,000 criminals based on information from your browser. Https://books.google.com/books?id=oLSZAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA627&lpg=PA627&dq=Cynthia+Tolliver+supreme+court&source=bl&ots=ppz5UDbEBj&sig=ACfU3U03UsaC1R9sBabfBMIWgxxUBI3hzA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqtKr_6M7xAhWEPM0KHUoiCLQQ6AEwEXoECB4QAw#v=onepage&q=arkansas&f=false . target: "#hbspt-form-1677718039000-5161016435", . The state of Oklahoma had divided Castellas property between her murderer and the remaining members of her family in 1904. your viewers to Bass Reeves, the lawman. In 1907, law enforcement was assumed by state agencies and Reeves duties as a deputy marshal came to an end. He was a lawman from the Old West and a hero. [5] [6] [7] [8] She passed away on 19 March 1896. In 1902 he arrested his own son, Benny, for murdering his wife (Reeves' daughter-in-law). All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Children. At 71, two months after leaving the Muskogee police force, Bass Reeves dies of Brights disease. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147727516/jane-reeves. Records relating to Bass Reeves and his family: Inmate Case Files from Leavenworth Penitentiary (. First, it is intended to be a spiritual successor to Bill Crider's blog, Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine. ", 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. After his first wife's death, Reeves married Winnie Sumter of Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1900 and started a second family. Dozier eluded Reeves for several months until the lawman tracked him down in the Cherokee Nation. 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. A real-life hero. Nellie Jennie family tree. included the Indian Territory. His son was tried, convicted to life in prison, and sent to Kansas Leavenworth Penitentiary. 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