©Copyright: July, 1997. Art T. Burton
As we move toward the millennium I feel more strongly than ever that Bass Reeves was the
most important lawman in the Indian Territory and one of the greatest frontier heroes in our
country's history. The research on his life is ongoing and I believe we will learn even more in the
future about his outstanding dedication and commitment to duty, which will vindicate my Bass
Reeves mania. Hopefully the location where he was buried in Muskogee, Oklahoma will be
found.
Below are four articles from the two major newspapers in Muskogee, early in the century.
They are the Muskogee Phoenix and the Muskogee Times Democrat. The articles discuss Reeves
career during his sickness and after his death. The articles were written after statehood when bias
and prejudice against African Americans was very strong, some of the comments reflect that
mindset. But still it is very impressive testimonials from two white newspapers of the era:
Bass Reeves, a deputy United States marshal in old Indian Territory for over thirty years, is
very ill at his home in the Fourth ward and is not expected to live.
Reeves was a deputy under Leo Bennett in the last years of the federal regime in Oklahoma,
and also served in the old days of Judge Parker at Fort Smith.
In the early days when the Indian country was overriden with outlaws, Reeves was sent to go
through the Indian country and gather up criminals which were tried at Fort Smith. These trips
lasted sometimes for months and Reeves would herd into Fort Smith often single handed, bands
of men charged with crimes from bootlegging to murder. He was paid fees in those days which
some times amounted to thousands of dollars for a single trip. For a time Reeves made a great
deal of money and was said to be worth considerable. He then shot a man whom he was trying to
arrest and was tried for murder. The fight for life in the courts was a bitter one, but finally Reeves
was acquitted on the testimony of a young negro girl. He was freed, but not until most of his
money was gone. The veteran negro deputy never quailed in facing any man. Chief Ledbetter
says of the old man that he is one of the bravest men this country has ever known.
He was honest and fearless, and a terror to the bootleggers. He was as polite as an old-time
slave to the white people and most loyal to his superiors.
His son shot and killed his own wife and Reeves, enforcing the law arrested his own son. The
young negro was sent to the penitentiary.
While the old man is slowly sinking, Bud Ledbetter, who for years was in the government
service with Reeves is caring for the old man the best he can and is a daily visitor at the Reeves
home. Police Judge Walrond, who was United States district attorney while Reeves was an
officer, also calls on the old negro.
"While Reeves could neither read nor write," said Judge Walrond today, "he had a faculty of
telling what warrants to serve on any one and never made a mistake. Reeves carried a batch of
warrants in his pocket and when his superior officers asked him to produce it the old man would
run through them and never fail to pick out the one desired.
Since statehood, Reeves was given a place on the police force, but became ill and unable to
work. For the past year he has been growing weaker, and has but little time to spend in this
world. He is nearly seventy years old.
Bass Reeves, colored, for 32 years a deputy United States marshal in Indian Territory, who
served under the famous Judge Parker at Fort Smith and later at Muskogee, a man credited with
fourteen notches on his gun and a terror to outlaws and desperadoes in the old days, died at his
home at 816 North Howard Street late yesterday afternoon at the age of 72. Death was caused by
Bright's disease and complications.
Bass Reeves is dead. He passed away yesterday afternoon about three o'clock and in a short
time news of his death had reached the federal court house where the announcement was received
in the various offices with comments of regret and where it recalled to the officers and clerks
many incidents in the early days of the United States court here in which the old negro deputy
featured heroically.
Bass Reeves had completed thirty-two years service as deputy marshal when, with the coming
of statehood at the age of sixty-nine he gave up his position. For about two years then he served
on the Muskogee police force, which position he gave up about a year ago on account of
sickness, from which he never fully recovered. Bright's disease and a complication of ailments
together with old age, were the cause of his death.
The deceased is survived by his wife and several children, only one of whom, a daughter, Mrs.
Alice Spahn, lives in Muskogee. His mother, who is eighty-seven years old, lives at Van Buren,
Arkansas, where a sister of his also is living.
The funeral will be held at noon Friday from the Reeves' home at 816 North Howard Street.
Arrangements for the funeral had not been completed last evening.
In the history of the early days of Eastern Oklahoma the name of Bass Reeves has a place in
the front rank among those who cleansed out the old Indian Territory of outlaws and
desperadoes. No story of the conflict of government's officers with those outlaws which ended
only a few years ago with the rapid filling up of the territory with people, can be complete
without mention of the negro who died yesterday.
For thirty-two years, beginning way back in the seventies and ending in 1907, Bass Reeves was
a deputy United States marshal. During that time he was sent to arrest some of the most
desperate characters that ever infested Indian Territory and endangered life and peace in its
borders. And he got his man as often as any of the deputies. At times he was unable to get them
alive and so in the course of his long service he killed fourteen men. But Bass 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. He was tried for murder on one occasion but was acquitted upon proving
that he had killed the man in the discharge of his duty and was forced to do it.
Reeves was an Arkansan and in his early days was a slave. He entered the federal as a deputy
marshal long before a court was established in Indian Territory and served under the marshal at
Fort Smith. Then when people started to come into Indian Territory and a marshal was
appointed with headquarters in Muskogee, he was sent over here.
Reeves served under seven United States marshals and all of them were more than satisfied
with his services. Everybody who came in contact with the negro deputy in an official capacity
had a great deal of respect for him, and at the court house in Muskogee one can hear stories of his
devotion to duty, his unflinching courage and his many thrilling experiences, and although he
could not write or read he always took receipts and had his accounts in good shape.
Undoubtedly the act which best typifies the man and which at least shows his devotion to
duty, was the arrest of his son. A warrant for the arrest of the younger Reeves, who was charged
with murder of his wife, had been issued. Marshal Bennett said that perhaps another deputy had
better be sent to arrest him. The old negro was in the room at the time, and with a devotion of
duty equaling that of the old Roman, Brutus, whose greatest claim on fame has been that the love
for his son could not sway him from justice, he said, "Give me the writ," and went out and
arrested his son, brought him into court and upon trial and conviction he was sentenced to
imprisonment and is still serving the sentence.
Reeves had many narrow escapes. At different times his belt was shot in two, a button shot off
his coat, his hat brim shot off and the bridle reins which he held in his hands cut by a bullet.
However, in spite of all these narrow escapes and many conflicts in which he was engaged,
Reeves was never wounded. And this not withstanding the fact that he said he never fired a shot
until the desperado he was trying to arrest had started the shooting.
Bass Reeves, negro, was buried yesterday and the funeral was attended by a large number of
white people--men who in the early days knew the old deputy marshal and admired him as a
faithful officer and respected him as an honest man.
Bass Reeves was an unique character. Absolutely fearless and knowing no master but duty, the
placing of a writ in his hands for service meant that the letter of the law would be fulfilled though
his life paid the penalty. In the carrying out of his orders during his thirty-two years as deputy
United States marshal in the old Indian Territory days, Bass Reeves faced death a hundred times,
many desperate characters sought his life yet the old man even on the brink of the grave went
along the pathway of duty with the simple faith that some men have who believe that they are in
the care of special providence when they are doing right.
The arrest of his own son for wife-murder, for which crime the young man is now serving a life
sentence, is the best illustration of the old deputy's Spartan character. He performed that duty as
he did all others entrusted to him---and he was invariably given the worst cases---with an eye
single to doing his duty under the law.
Black-skinned, illiterate, offspring of slaves whose ancestors were savages, this simple old
man's life stands white and pure alongside some of our present-day officials in charge of affairs
since the advent of statehood. To them duty, honor and respect for law are but by-words, and
their only creed is "get what you can and stand in with the Boss."
Bass Reeves would not have served under such a regime. Black though he was he was too white
for that. His simple, honest faith in the righteousness of the law would brook no disrespect for
its mandates, and some of the little ones in charge now would not have dared suggest such a thing
to this man who feared nothing but the possibility that he might do wrong.
Bass is dead. He was buried with high honors, and his name will be recorded in the archives of
the court as a faithful servant of the law and a brave officer. And it was fitting that such
recognition was bestowed upon this man. It is fitting that, black or white, our people have the
manhood to recognize character and faithfulness to duty. And it is lamentable that we as white
people must go to this poor, simple old negro to learn a lesson in courage, honesty and faithfulness
to official duty.Muskogee Times Democrat, November 19, 1909
BASS REEVES IS A VERY SICK MAN
BASS REEVES DEAD;
UNIQUE CHARACTER
Man of the "Old Days" Gone
Deputy Marshal Thirty-Two Years.BASS REEVES CAREER
Contact Art Burton at:
Telephone: (708) 596-2000 ext. 2276
History Department
South Suburban College
15800 South State Street
South Holland, Illinois 60473
See information on Art Burton's book "Black, Red and Deadly" at Western Americana - Eakin Press
Click here for the Art Burton page
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