by Carol Mowdy Bond
Tales of other Old West lawmen have overshadowed the narrative about Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves in historical records and modern storytelling. But during his time in the saddle, Reeves was respected, with a superstar status in law enforcement. He reflects early Oklahoma’s multicultural population leading up to statehood.
In his seminal book, Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves, Art T. Burton says Reeves was probably born in July 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas. Reeves was one of the first African Americans to hold a commission west of the Mississippi River.
Reeves overcame insurmountable odds in life. He fled slavery during the Civil War and took refuge with the Seminole and Creek Indians in Indian Territory. In 1863, Reeves gained his freedom.
Then in March 1875, U.S. District Judge Isaac C. Parker (known in history as the “Hanging Judge”) was assigned to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to dispense law for a 75,000-square-mile area covering the Western District of Arkansas and all of Indian Territory (present Oklahoma).
Shortly after March 1875, Reeves became one of the first men to ride as a deputy for Parker. He was the only deputy to begin with Parker and continue to work in the territory until Oklahoma statehood in 1907.
Life as a Deputy Marshal
Deputy U.S. marshals made arrests for everything from murder to incest. Reeves primarily worked in Indian and Oklahoma territories, but he also worked in Arkansas, Texas, and possibly elsewhere. He earned a reputation as the “most feared U.S. marshal in the Indian country.”
At six feet two inches tall and 180 pounds, Reeves was known for his uncanny, superhuman physical strength and his fearlessness. Often single-handedly, Reeves herded into Fort Smith bands of men who had been charged with serious crimes. His rise to fame is entwined with the American narrative.
After the Civil War, tremendous unrest, a shift in jurisdictions, and increased danger clouded Indian Territory. Thousands of people flocked into the area, often illegally. From across the nation, large amounts of criminal activity also gravitated to the area. Tribal courts held no jurisdiction in those situations, but the U.S. courts at Fort Smith and at Paris, Texas, did.
Beginning with Reconstruction after the Civil War, Indian Territory was the most dangerous place for U.S. marshals to work. It was split into the “Twin Territories” of Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory in 1890, adding more disruption and conflict. For peace officers, the Wild West’s most dangerous place was the Twin Territories.
U.S. federal judges used deputy marshals to carry out justice, and more than 100 of them were killed while on duty during Reeves’ career. But Reeves was ambidextrous with firearms, and he carried three Colt pistols, one on his hip, one in a shoulder holster, and one hidden at his waistline in the small of his back. However, his main weapon was his Winchester rifle. He preferred plain, ordinary firearms that were inconspicuous.
His shooting abilities were legendary. He could shoot so fast, so well, and so consistently that competitions barred him from participating.
Outlaws posted cards on the trails, naming deputies they would kill, and they posted a dozen of those cards for Reeves’ benefit.
Reeves knew the lay of the land, he held a rapport with the population, and he spoke Native American languages. He could negotiate racial boundaries among Native Americans, African Americans, freedmen, and whites.
Ongoing discussions have been held about whether Reeves was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger, a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who rode a white horse. The cultural icon hit the radio airwaves in 1933, followed by a television show from 1949 to 1957. The Lone Ranger’s calling card was a silver bullet. He fought Old West outlaws alongside his Native American friend, Tonto.
Reeves might have ridden a white horse at times, he handed out silver dollars, he often worked in disguise, and he often rode with a Native American companion. Burton found no conclusive proof that Reeves was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger, but he believes Reeves is the closest nineteenth-century American to the fictional character.
The Invincible Marshal
Known as the “invincible marshal,” Reeves logged an immeasurable number of miles on horseback during his career. He owned horses, and he was an excellent horse breeder who valued fast steeds. But his primary focus was on horses that had strength and endurance.
Although illiterate, Reeves had a career in Indian Territory that lasted 32 years, and he worked among other legendary lawmen, including Heck Thomas and Bill Tilghman. Reeves arrested more than 3,000 men and women, including his own son, and he killed more than 20 men.
After retiring as a deputy marshal in 1907, Reeves became a Muskogee city police officer. He died in Muskogee in January 1910. In 1992, Reeves was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. He was perhaps the greatest lawman of the Wild West.
