Bass Reeves
Words are not sufficient to describe the man known as Bass Reeves. He was
probably one of the first African Americans to received a commission as a U.S.
Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi.
Reeves was a man very large in stature, believed to have been born in Texas.
After the Civil War, he came western to Arkansas, and settled in the town of Van
Buren Arkansas, having taken up farming as a living. In the 1870 census he is
married and working on his farm in Van Buren. By 1880, he was working in his new
profession—as a U.S. Deputy Marshal, under the direction of Judge Isaac C.
Parker in Ft. Smith. His family continued to reside in Van Buren during these
years.
Receiving his commission in 1875 his career began the most colorful, noteworthy,
and successful careers of the western frontier marshals. Full anecdotal accounts
of Reeves are to be found in the work by Art Burton, Black Red and Deadly. Black
and Indian Gunfighters of Indian Territory. (Eakin Press) As early as 1878, the
Reeves starts appearing in Ft. Smith and Indian Territory newspapers. He was
working in Parker court at the time of the execution of James Diggs, who had
been wanted for years. He assisted in the capture of the outlaw Bob Dozier. In
1883 the Ft. Smith Elevator describe Reeves involvement in the capture of
Johnson Jacks. In 1884, the Elevator described his effort in bringing a load of
prisoners from Indian Territory. Later in ‘84, Reeves received press in the Muskogee
Indian Journal. A month later his efforts were written up in two different newspaper papers
describing the same event, one in Ft. Smith, and one in Muskogee. His reputation
began to grow as the years passed.
In 1896 Judge Isaac Parker died, and the
Federal Territory was later divided into districts. Shortly after that time,
Parker was transferred to Muskogee in the Northern District, where he served
till his death in 1910.
Ironically, as successful as this man's life is, he lies
today in an unknown spot in or near Muskogee Oklahoma. It is believed by some
that he may lie in Agency Cemetery–an abandoned cemetery in Muskogee now
without access from public roads. Others believe that he may lie buried in a
cemetery on Fern Mountain Road. Hopefully a movement may someday surface to
restore this black resting ground, where persons such as Bass Reeves and those
of his caliber can receive honor from their descendants.
More on Bass Reeves
The
Legacy of Bass Reeves
National
Historic Site-Ft. Smith Notes Bass Reeves' Record